Scarred Silver
by Tom Valor
Summary: A girl fated for slavery is rescued by a mysterious wizard who claims ownership over her. What could such a being of power want from her?
1. Terms of ownership

**Scarred Silver**

**Chapter 1: Terms of ownership**

"Stop dithering, girl! Move!"

The residents of Izlude watched helplessly as a swordsman dragged a young girl towards the nearby tavern. No one tried to help; the man, called Sterphas Naekel, was reputed to be a powerful swordsman. He was easily recognized for his long, dirty and black beard. His eyes seemed permanently bloodshot due to his perpetual state of inebriation. His scalp was a filthy mess of stringy, black hair. It was covered with all sorts of dirt and crawling with lice. Nonetheless, his arms were still burly from constant sword-swinging and drunken brawling so the last time someone tried to help his daughter, Sterphas nearly killed someone.

It had only been a few years since the Great War and Izlude was a barely resettled mess. People were still clearing out the rubble of the Lord of Death's fortress and Prontera did not have many soldiers to spare to enforce its authority over its satellite city. The people who settled into Izlude were mostly builders as well as a few citizens who had lost a home the other cities. Sterphas was one of the latter; a swordsman who was kicked out of his knight division for his excessive carousing. Here in Izlude, he could stay away from the hated authority of Prontera.

Most of Izlude's residents felt sorry for the girl; Alteara. Her father abused her almost every day, making her perform tasks not meant for children, subjecting her to his frequent and drunken rages and feeding her only mere table scraps. Through it all the silver-haired girl bore it with a calm yet unyielding spirit.

"Maybe someone's foolish enough to buy you from me!" Sterphas shouted. He dragged the child inside the tavern and immediately shouted out his business. "This girl is for sale! That's right, for fifty thousand zennies, you'll get your own slave!"

The tavern patrons eyed Sterphas suspiciously. Slave trading had been against the law even before the Great War. If there was a soldier of Prontera nearby, Sterphas would have been arrested and executed. Besides, what kind of man would sell his own daughter? Sterphas was a well-known drunkard and a wastrel. He was often broke and drunk ever since they kicked him out of the Eight Knight Division and it was his daughter who bore the brunt of both aspects of his life. No one even knew how Sterphas could get a daughter and who the mother was. People could only guess that she must have been a beauty if she could give birth to a pretty, little girl despite the ugly swordsman for a father, a stupid and blind beauty. And pretty Alteara was, even in her dishevelled state. With no soldiers of Prontera around, the patrons decided to have a little fun.

"Selling her off now, Sterphas? You should lower the price for damaged goods!"

The patrons laughed at one thief's remark. An archer spoke up after taking a pull from his mug.

"I'll pay you twenty-five thousand to use her for target practice!"

The other patrons joined in. One merchant wanted the girl to find out what would happen if you force-fed berserk potions to minors. Another merchant tried to haggle, again mentioning that she was damaged goods.

Alteara winced and tried to hide the bruises on her arms and legs. It was difficult as the black and blue marks stood out of her pale skin like inky blotches. The slighting comments continued. Everyone in the tavern was going at it.

"Be quiet!"

A voice rose above the commentaries, causing everyone to look at its direction. Two men sat at the very corner of the room, one of them wore the armor of a fully fledged knight. More than one patron jumped at the sight of him, thinking that he was a knight from the capital and they were all about to be arrested. How no one even noticed him until now, no one knew. A great sword was strapped to the man's back. A bone helm, its ominous-looking horns jutting sideways, combined with a fin helm and a mouth protector called an iron cain, hid most of his features.

The knight's companion, the one who shouted for silence, looked even stranger. He was a wizard; at least he looked like one. Messy, ivory hair covered his head. The most arresting feature of the man was his eyes, blood red eyes stared at Alteara with the ferocity of some predatory bird. He stared at the crowd as a stern person would at a crowd of mewling, dirty children. Both men walked towards Sterphas.

"She's under-fed." The wizard's remark was blunt and direct, brooking no argument from anyone.

Sterphas nudged the girl hard with his elbow, a signal to fix her appearance. Alteara did her best to comply; trying to stretch the rags she wore to hide the bruises, at the same time using the same rags to wipe some of the dirt from her face and hands.

"Not only that, she's badly injured, dirty and dressed in rags." The wizard continued. He bent over and examined the girl closely. The expression in his eyes changed when he focused on Alteara. When he had looked at Sterphas, it was like he was talking to an animate pile of dung. His nose was always on the verge of wrinkling with disgust. When he laid eyes on her, however, it seemed that at last, he saw a human being. "I'll have a little talk with your "commodity" Mister Naekel; see what deal you can make from my companion here."

Sterphas turned to talk the knight. Before he could speak a word though, the knight glared him to silence.

The wizard stared at Alteara carefully examining her from head to toe. She avoided looking at the wizard's eyes and shifted uncomfortably at the intensity of his stare. He looked her over and nodded his approval. The expression on his face seemed to say "You will do". "Don't look away, girl." He said. "Look at me. That's right; learn to keep your gaze on the one speaking to you. Especially me."

Alteara stared at the wizard; his intense stare kept her looking at his crimson eyes. She shivered when she focused on them. There was power in those eyes. He seemed to radiate power in everything he was and did. He was clean-shaven with sharp features on his face.

"Do I have your attention?" The wizard asked; his voice a mere whisper's level. "Good. Listen well then. You've heard the plans of these scum around us have you? Let me confirm that all of them plan to do exactly as they said. That aside, I'm offering you a simple deal."

Sterphas glared suspiciously at his daughter as she shifted her gaze at him. The wizard cuffed Alteara lightly to get her attention back.

"The deal will go like this." The wizard continued. "You may come with me, free of charge and out of your own free will, and I'll take you under my wing. I'll give you the support this fool apparently never tried to give you. You'll grow stronger under my tutelage and I'll let you realize whatever potential you have in you. Trust me there's plenty of that and I can easily tell."

The wizard smiled as he noticed a flicker of interest in the girl's eyes. He assessed the child, with a mere look he judged the girl to be in her early teens, thirteen perhaps or even twelve. Her long, silver hair was tied in a pony tail that fell limp behind her. Pale, dirty skin showed the marks of frequent beatings and an occasional sword cut. What interested him was the way the girl looked back at him with her gray eyes. Her gaze did not possess fearful timidity of a beaten child or the cowed look of someone subdued. Her eyes had the look of someone who bore suffering silently.

"I've caught your interest it seems." He said. "Let me continue then. Yes, I will take care of you but I have my price. I will own you, body, heart, mind and soul. You will follow my wishes at all times and not once will you disobey me or even hesitate to follow a command. I will be your master and you will be my student, my minion, my…pawn. Your life is always at my mercy and I will expect much from it. You will have no outside relations except those I allow and even if you have friends, only I have your absolute loyalty. If you accept these terms and later go back on them, you will die. Do you understand that?"

Alteara trembled as she continued to stare at the wizard. No one had ever spoken to her this way. This man was taking her life and laying it out in front of her, forcing her to choose and to choose quickly. Her mouth went dry and she could not respond to the wizard's words. His hand held her right shoulder tightly.

"Your other choice would be to let me pass you by." He went on. "Make no mistake, you have potential but I can replace that. You can take your chances with the scum around you or that drunken dung-pile that's the reason why you're here. They can have their fun with you and toss you aside like a used bandage. So, what will it be then?"

Alteara swallowed hard and continued to tremble. Her knees felt weak and she couldn't find the words to say…the wizard's grip tightened. Finally she found her voice and the courage to use it.

"Y-you…I want to g-go with you…" She finally forced the words to come out.

The wizard's lips split into a grin, revealing sharp, white teeth. Almost at once, Alteara felt her fate was sealed. There was no turning back from his plans. "Excellent!" He said. He stood up swiftly. "She looks fine. I'll take her."

Sterphas rubbed his hands together. Fifty thousand zennies would get him several barrels of ale. He would be drinking himself to stupor tonight! "That's fifty thousand then." He said with a chuckle.

The wizard looked at the swordsman's greedily extended palm and shook his head as if he was talking to an idiot. "I'm sorry, swordsman." He answered. "But I've already worked out a separate deal with this girl and I don't have to pay you a zenny!"

Sterphas's grin changed to fury in less than a heartbeat. "Alteara, you-!" He raised a hand to backhand the girl. Before the blow could connect, though, the wizard raised a finger. A torrent of frosty air erupted from his finger, engulfing Sterphas completely. When the white haze cleared, he covered with a thick layer of ice save for his head.

The wizard turned his stare on the helpless swordsman. "I won't have you harming my property, Sterphas." He said. "She's mine now and you can't even so much as touch her without my permission. I'll say it now, you'll never get it."

The wizard turned to leave. Both Alteara and the knight followed him outside the tavern. He turned to face Alteara once again kneeling so he could catch her at her eye level. "So what shall I call my pawn, hmm?" He asked. "What name should I associate her with?"

Alteara stared at the wizard. Though he constantly called her "pawn" she felt more at ease with him than her own father.

"A-Alteara, sir. Alteara N…"

He raised a hand to interrupt. "Sever any tie you have with that frozen fool, Alteara. You belong to me alone and I have no need of your association with family. Keep your first name as that is the minimum I need so I won't have to address you as "girl" all the time."

Alteara nodded. Already her father's memory seemed so distant. She allowed herself to be carried away by the wizard's commanding words. She found nothing wrong in doing anything he asked her to.

"You will call me Master Raven Huer. If you find that too long you may simply refer to me as Master Raven, Master Huer, or simply Master."

Raven Huer's eyes narrowed. "You may forget "Raven" or "Huer", Alteara. Never "Master"."

Alteara nodded again while the knight led the way.

"Yes, Master Raven."

Raven Huer stood up, satisfaction showing on his face.

"You learn quickly. Let me take you to your new home then."


	2. Absolute Master

**Scarred Silver**

**Chapter 2: Absolute Master**

"Quicken your pace, Alteara, we're almost there!"

Her new master's voice spurred Alteara on like a rider's whiplash. Unconsciously she did her best to obey. There was another reason why she quickened her pace despite two hours of non-stop walking. That reason took the form of the heavily-armored knight who brought up the rear. She caught only occasional glimpses of the man's face underneath the bone helm he wore. He wasn't even sweating from their journey and had yet to utter a single word for the entire time she had known him. Raven Huer, did not seem the least bit inclined to introduce the man. Alteara suddenly found herself in front of an ominous-looking forest. The wizard in front of her stopped and held her on the shoulder.

"Wait." Raven Huer brushed several stray locks of his hair from his face. He focused on his student before speaking. "Listen to me, Alteara. This forest belongs to me just as surely as you do. It serves as a deterrent to anyone foolish enough to try and enter my territory." His grip tightened on Alteara's shoulder as he began to mutter in the language of magic. Alteara suddenly felt an intense heat coming from his palm. The sensation was merely unpleasant at first but his palm quickly became extremely hot. She squirmed in pain, his touch was worse than that time her father struck her with a red hot poker. Finally, he let go. Alteara could feel the flesh on her left shoulder blade sizzle. Her master grinned, seemingly pleased by his handiwork. "I have marked you as my own." He said. "It is the only way you can pass through this forest safely. The mark will let the guardians recognize you as a kindred spirit."

Raven Huer continued walking while Alteara tried to feel the mark on her shoulder. The hilt of a sword suddenly prodded her from behind. The knight loomed behind her, his eyes glaring at her to move. "I-I'm sorry!" She stammered. She bowed apologetically to the knight before running back to her place behind her master. The knight did not make a sound and continued walking.

The trek through the forest was long and gloomy. Alteara noticed the large and shadowy figures that floated about among the trees. They looked like suspended cloaks with skulls for heads. Gigantic mouths snapped and slobbered from their abdomens. She had often heard of such horrid things from the stories she read. They were undead spirits, floating about, looking for victims to sate their unending hatred for all life. She kept close to her new master. Despite his assurance that these beings would not harm her, Alteara felt that a single touch from these creatures was all that it took.

"We're here." Raven Huer suddenly said.

Alteara looked up to the magnificent-looking mansion before them. The walls were a dark, polished wood; the windows were high and tinted with the same color. The entire structure gave off a foreboding atmosphere and, despite its environment, was completely untouched by the foliage. Her master pushed open the front doors, revealing a massive hall. "Welcome to your new home, Alteara." He said.

Alteara turned around, trying to look at the hall in its entirety. Large, obsidian statues adorned the sides of the room. Alteara recognized the cloaks, the swords and bows as well as the maces and knives. They were the different adventuring professions in Midgard; swordsman, thief, mage, acolyte, merchant and archer. It was her dream to join their ranks one day and if her master, Raven Huer, meant what he said...

"Yes, Alteara, one day you shall be like them." Raven Huer suddenly spoke; answering her unspoken question. "Be loyal to me at all times and I will make sure of it."

Alteara stared at the wizard and nodded. Her father had never said such things even though she had to remain loyal to him. "Master Raven." She breathed. It sounded both as a declaration and a way to catch attention.

The wizard raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Alteara?"

Alteara kept her gaze on the wizard. Already she adhered to the first thing her master taught her. To always look at the one she was speaking to. "What do I do now, master?"

Raven Huer smiled and appraised his student. "Eager to serve, aren't we?" He said. "Before you do anything, I want you to fix your appearance. Your stay with that fool, Sterphas, has left its own mark on you and I want nothing on you to evoke his memory." He snapped his fingers and one of the doors in the hall opened; revealing a huge yet thin figure in rusted, archaic armor.

Alteara took a closer look and realized that the figure was really an enormous skeleton. It carried a pair of wicked-looking swords in its hands and lumbered about in slow, ungainly steps.

Raven Huer focused on the creature and then shifted his attention back to Alteara. "The khalitzburg will lead you to your room." He said. "You can clean yourself there. We will have dinner after precisely two hours. I will instruct you on your apprenticeship then." His eyes narrowed menacingly as he said his next words. "Never be late."

With that, Raven Huer vanished, leaving Alteara alone with the knight and the khalitzburg. The knight stared at the girl for a while before walking away.

That was when the khalitzburg spoke. "Follow me, mistress." It said. "I shall take you to your quarters." The khalitzburg's voice was hollow and rasping. Like a rotten door swinging on rusted hinges. Alteara followed the creature as it ascended a flight of stairs with a slow and clumsy gait. "The master has also detailed me to answer what questions you have."

Alteara looked above her. The mansion was truly incredible; the ceiling seemed so far away. She appreciated the chance to ask questions, though. She didn't want to annoy her master and she wasn't going to risk asking the knight who looked like he would cut her down for just staring at him. "Why do you serve Master Raven?" She asked. "Aren't you an undead creature?"

The khalitzburg continued to move. They had reached the end of the staircase and were now walking along one of the mansion's corridors. "The master was the one who created me." It answered. "I am bound to serve."

Alteara shivered at the thought of her master creating all sorts of undead. "He created you?" She asked. "How? And what for?"

The khalitzburg opened the door to a large room. Alteara quickly noticed that the bath was prepared. A change of clothes lay on top of the feather bed. They consisted of a gray tunic with no marks on it and cloth pants of the same color. They were functional at most and it didn't look like her master was the type to bother with fashion. Still, they looked better than rags. "The master is capable of casting all of the ancient spells." The khalitzburgs continued. "That includes the spell to create more of my kind from the bodies of the dead. As for my purpose, the master created me to guard you as the need arises, to inform you of the rules he has set upon his house and lastly-" The khalitzburg grasped its twin blades tightly in warning.

"To slay you should he desire it."

With that, the armored skeleton lumbered outside the room and shut the door. Alteara let out the breath he was holding. The khalitzburg was just plain creepy; the thought of it going after her sent shivers down her spine. 'He can create slaves out of bones and rusted metal…' She thought. 'What does he need me for?'

Alteara slipped out of her ragged clothes and settled into the bath. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes. The water was cool and refreshing; she had forgotten the last time she took a bath. Most of the time she had to settle for a quick scrub with a basin of water; her father never bothered bathing at all so he ignored any need to provide his house with a decent bath. She let out a sigh and relaxed, she could just…

_"Never be late."_

Her master's words caused Alteara to open her eyes. She can't fall asleep now! Master Raven was expecting her in two hours! Quickly, she found a scrub and began washing herself. The idea of disobeying her master seemed more terrifying than facing the armored monster outside her door.

* * *

"So what do you think of her, Valen?"

Raven Huer leafed through one of his spell books inside his personal library. His student, Valen Xrossun, stood at one corner of the gigantic room, still clad in his armor and inspecting his weapon.

"She's physically strong and highly intelligent." Valen replied. "Not only that I can sense a strong will in her and she's already used to hardship."

Raven Huer smiled at his student's direct appraisal. "I thought as much." He said. "She's a rare find indeed."

Valen replaced the intricately designed two-handed sword into its sheath. He had made his assessment based on several things. The first was that the girl endured the two hour trek from Izlude to Raven's home without complaining or collapsing. The proof of her intelligence was that she readily accepted Raven's offer. The other children that Raven tested dawdled over a decision when their path should have been obvious, this Alteara had immediately assessed Raven's deal and compared it to her other option; a clear sign of her intelligence. Her will was a different matter though; he could feel it but he couldn't really base it on any event regarding the girl. Perhaps it was something in her gray eyes. "What do you plan to do with her, Master Raven?" He asked.

Raven Huer closed his spell book and grinned fiercely. "Isn't it obvious? I will make her my next student! By the time I'm through with her, she will strike fear into the heart of every soul in Midgard! Fear of her! And fear of her absolute master!"

Valen stared at the wizard. "You're not telling me everything, Master Raven. But I'll settle for your answer…for now."

Raven Huer paused briefly, as if searching for something in the air. "One more hour." He said. "You will take part in her training, won't you, Valen?"

The knight walked out of the room. "I will, out of doing you a favor, Master Raven. I have my own reasons for wielding your weapon."

The wizard turned back to reading his notes once again. "Provided that she doesn't break, Valen."

* * *

Alteara followed behind the khalitzburg once more, this time towards the dining hall. It was still ten minutes before her master's time limit but the she did not want to risk being late. What she found strange, though, was that all her scars and bruises had disappeared completely. Where there used to be cuts or burn marks was now covered with smooth, pale and unblemished skin.

"You're early, Alteara. That's good; it shows how you're enthusiastic to anticipate my wishes."

Alteara looked up to find her master waiting for her in front of the dining hall's entrance. Raven Huer gestured causing the double doors behind him to swing open.

"Let's begin, shall we?"


	3. Training

**Scarred Silver**

**Chapter 3: Training**

Alteara ate her meal in complete silence. They were eating a simple meal of rice, some stewed meat that she could not identify what kind and a bowl of vegetable soup. It had been a long time since she had a real dinner and she felt like sighing with content. Most of the time she had to settle for scraps from her father's table.

"Your training will be separated to two parts." Raven Huer began. "I will tutor you in the art of spell casting, your basic education and how you will go about serving me. Valen here will handle your weapon training. Do you understand?" Alteara nodded. It was strange though, wasn't she going to train as a mage? What was the weapon training for? She knew better than to argue though. Her master put down his spoon and fork. "Dinner is over! Alteara, follow me and we will begin your lesson at once!"

Alteara followed obediently. For a brief moment, she glanced back to the knight who had not spoken a word during dinner. He was bareheaded this time; revealing a tangled mess of long and black hair. Sensing her gaze, the knight stared back; his dark eyes reflecting no emotion at all. She shuddered and moved on. Her master led her into a large, dome-shaped room. The space was empty of anything and the smooth, black walls were marked by strange, magical symbols.

"Let me give you your first lesson, pupil of mine, by telling you what magic is." Her master began. "Magic isn't a tool like a hammer or a saw is, as most of those Geffen-born fools believe. It isn't something you can pick up, use and set aside for later. It is being of power that suffuses this very world; alive in anyone who knows of its existence. It courses through the veins and pulses with your heart; a part of you like an arm or a leg. Unused, it will wither away like a useless limb. Used poorly and it will prove unreliable, like an untrained swordsman or a short-sighted archer, but perfected-"

Her master raised an arm and pointed towards the center of the room. In an instant, a flash of lightning struck. The floor heaved under the impact; causing large spikes of stone to jut out around the area where the bolt struck. Alteara covered her ears to protect them from the thunderous boom that followed the spell. Her master made a sweeping gesture with the same arm and the floor returned to its normal form. Alteara stared incredulously at him. Mages and wizards often came to Izlude in order to visit Byalan Island; they often cast fantastic spells to show off to the townsfolk but Alteara had yet to see any spell that equalled that of her master's.

"Perfected, there is nothing that it can't do." Her master continued. "You can't dictate magic's form with a book, Alteara, anymore than you can list down everything you can do with your hands. But this is where the hand analogy ends. You use your hands to wipe your ass and pick your nose. Do not disrespect magic with such mundanity, remain in awe of it for all your life and revere its source and personification; The Source. Do you know of The Source?"

Alteara shook her head. She shuddered when she saw a frown crease her master's brow briefly.

"That fool has a lot of things to do." He muttered to himself. "You will know more about her soon. Let it suffice for now that The Source is who gives this world its magic. Respect her gifts. Do you understand?"

Alteara nodded as her master finished the lecture.

"Now, let's awaken that talent of yours shall we?"

Hours later, Alteara fell gasping to her knees. Sweat trickled from her head and dripped on the cold stone floor.

"That will do for now, I suppose." Her master said. "Go back to your room, Alteara. You have an hour until Valen summons you for weapon training."

* * *

Raven Huer watched as the girl staggered out of the room. He had ordered Alteara to cast a simple fire spell. He instructed her with the proper gestures, the state of mind and the concentration needed. She was a natural at spellcasting and had succeeded in calling forth a small flame, which he immediately put out with a blast of wind.

_"Bah! I asked for a fire, Alteara! Not a cigar lighter! Show me a fire that will stand against a gust of wind! Show me why I should bother to teach you anything more!"_

He recalled the look of determination on the girl's face. In the end she called forth a blast of fire that lasted for a few seconds against his icy winds. 'Not too bad for her first day.' He thought. Raven allowed himself a smile before heading to his own room. He had so much to teach his student.

* * *

An hour later, Alteara found herself inside another room. This one's stone walls were marked not with magical symbols but with nicks and cracks of hundreds of blows. The knight stood in front of her inside the room, a well-used sword in his hand. For the first time since she met him, the knight spoke. He had a deep voice, a rich baritone that made her nervous.

"Don't gawk at me, girl. Get a weapon so we can begin."

Alteara looked around the room. All sorts of weapons lined the room's walls; swords, knives, axes and maces, all of them were stacked in neat piles or hung on the walls. She picked out a sword that seemed close in size with her and then held it with both hands. The blade was heavy and a little unbalancing but she had a feeling that the knight expected nothing less and would have stared at her in derision if she picked a smaller weapon.

"Good…" The knight spoke. "Let's start then. My name is Valen Xrossun, girl. Misuse or mispronounce it and you will die by my blade."

Alteara nodded as she slowly approached the knight. Valen Xrossun removed his bone helm and iron cain. "And another thing..." He added. "I am not your master. You know who is. Call me master and he will incinerate you with less than a thought. Now, I'll begin the first lesson."

The knight clapped his gauntleted hands once. Behind him a portcullis opened slowly. Low, guttural noises and snorting sounded from the opening. Alteara looked fearfully at the opening. To her horror, a huge, muscular creature with short, brown fur strode into the room. The floor shook every time the creature's enormous hooves struck it. A pair of curved horns jutted out of the sides of the creature's bull-like head. A large, two-handed hammer, perfectly sized for the beast, rested in its hands.

Valen gestured towards the beast. "Can you defeat this minorus if it attacked you?" He asked.

Frightened, Alteara shook her head; her grip on her sword faltered as the minorus advanced on her. Valen walked towards her and handed her his sword. The weapon was a finely crafted, two-hander, almost as long as she was tall. It had an intricately engraved blade, marked with symbols she didn't understand.

"This sword will cut through steel and flesh without so much as vibrating with the effort." Valen said. "A blow from it will slay that minorus instantly. If I gave this to you, can you defeat it then?"

Alteara tried to shake her head, but her body was shaking so much that all she could do was stare at the knight. If she attacked the beast, if she could even lift Valen's sword, it would catch her with its hammer before she could close in enough to swing her weapon. "N-n-no…I c-can't…"

Valen thrust the sword to the floor. The monster continued to lumber towards them. It seemed a little hesitant to move past the knight. "Why not?" He asked. "Because that monster will pound you to red paste before you could swing it? True, so weaponry is not really the deciding factor."

The minorus took another step forward. In that moment Valen drew a knife. Alteara recognized it as the type that they issued to novices, and stabbed the minorus in the chest. The monster stared at its torso; Valen had stabbed it so hard that half of his arm was buried deep in its flesh.

Alteara watched in morbid fascination as Valen withdrew his arm. Blood burst from the opened wound and spilled on the floor. The minorus crashed to the ground; a gaping hole in its chest proved to be its undoing.

"Did you see how I killed this beast, girl? Why could I defeat it so easily with a weapon as pathetic as a knife when you couldn't do so with a powerful sword?"

Alteara stared at Valen's arm; blood caked the armor up to his forearm. "Because you're…stronger, than I am."

Valen dropped the knife on the dead body. "You're correct." He said. "The weapon is but a tool, girl. A powerful weapon means only that you have a good tool, without the skill to use it, it's worthless. What wins battles is might, not honor or discipline or love or anger. These things serve only to focus what might you have. Become strong first before you decide what to do with it. The strong are always victorious in battle, not the honorable or some such thing. Become strong and you can fight for a hundred different causes and emerge triumphant each time. Become weak and you will perish against your enemy, regardless of whether you are right or he's wrong." Valen picked up his weapon once more. "I've given my lecture, show me what you can do with that blade, girl! You were the daughter of a swordsman were you not? Show me some of the things you've learned and we'll work from there!"

Several gruelling hours of training with Valen had Alteara literally crawling to her room. Valen Xrossun was a brutal teacher; he had little patience for mistakes and corrected Alteara's with a sharp and painful rap with the sheath of is weapon. By the end of the session, Alteara's arms sagged from the constant sword swinging. She couldn't believe she had to go through this every day.

'Then again…there's nothing I'd rather do.' She thought to herself.

Alteara lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Her Master Raven as a perfectionist, he would not tolerate anything less than what he wanted. His "friend" Valen was unfeeling and violent, how could she survive training with him? A small voice seemed to answer.

"Because they can give you your dream, Alteara, and you're willing to go through anything for that."

Alteara agreed mentally and promptly fell asleep.


	4. Loyalty

**Scarred Silver**

**Chapter 4: Loyalty**

Alteara walked the halls of the manor, not with timidity and fear but with cool familiarity. A year has passed since her master had taken her into his home. She had grown accustomed to both his tastes and his habits.

"Mistress."

She turned to face the skeletal creature that constantly shadowed her. True to its duties, the khalitzburg was always by her side. She had grown used to the unsteady clunking of its armoured footsteps sounding just behind her. She had even named the hulking, undead monstrosity "guardian". It certainly sounded better than calling it constantly as "you".

"The master has not scheduled a session for today, mistress." The khalitzburg spoke.

Alteara absently waved a hand. "I know that, guardian." She answered. "I'm just going to practice some lightning spells for today so I don't look like a fool before him later."

The khalitzburg did not speak again. Alteara did not fear it; she had no intention to betray her master. The magical practice room looked the same as ever. The black, magically inscribed walls repaired themselves each time magic caused a crack or broke a portion. She began focusing her spellcasting. Among the three elements that her master taught her to manipulate, she had the most difficulty with lightning. Fire was a matter of gathering heat from her surroundings and focusing them until she produced a blaze. Cold was a matter of using the moisture in the air, manipulating its temperature to produce ice and shaping the ice to her will. Lightning, on the other hand, was harder to control. Electricity had an unpredictable wildness about it. If she focused too hard, the resulting blast would get out of control. If she lessened her focus, the spell would go awry or, worse, backfire. Alteara recalled her last session. She had badly singed her hands when the lightning bolt she was trying to cast exploded on her palms.

_"Concentrate on the flow of energy, Alteara! The magic should flow from you like an exhalation of breath! Don't spit it out like a glob of phlegm caught in the back of your throat!"_

With her master's words in mind, Alteara concentrated. The magic coursed through her veins, it radiated through her finger tips like colorless fire. She watched as electricity began to build in the atmosphere. Quickly, she began to focus on the resulting energy. Arcs of lightning coursed through her hands, ready to strike any target she pointed out. Suddenly, the electricity surged beyond her control. She gasped as the spell exploded into a flash of sparks, causing more burns on her hands. "Not again!" She cried out. "What am I doing wrong?"

The khalitzburg watched Alteara impassively as she clutched her hands painfully. She began to concentrate once more. She hated the thought of failing in front of her Master Raven once again.

'Why do I keep losing control?' Alteara asked as she felt the magic flowing in her. The spell was there; ready to be cast but, whenever she tried to cast it, it simply exploded. Suddenly her khalitzburg guardian swivelled about. "What's wrong, guardian?" She asked it.

The khalitzburg began to move, it's normally slow movements were quickened for some reason. "Intruders outside the mansion." It rasped. It drew its weapons from their sheaths and lumbered away.

Alteara followed the khalitzburg to the mansion's front door. She wondered how intruders could even reach that point. Wraiths and khalitzburgs guarded the surrounding forest along with other sorts of undead creatures.

_"I use the undead as guardians, Alteara, not because I enjoy necromancy. I simply believe that they're easier to maintain. No need to feed or shelter them whatsoever. They don't need money or other benefits to keep working."  
_  
Alteara finally reached the entrance, only to find a mob of angry townspeople about to torch the place. Her master was not around and neither was Valen Xrossun.

"This is the home of that crazy wizard!" Someone shouted.

The crowd raised their torches and yelled in unison. The khalitzburg was about to engage them when it suddenly stopped in its tracks. Alteara felt her own hand go to the blade that Valen gave her. The crowd's leader, a fat swordsman wielding a rusty sword saw her. "You there, girl! Are you another one of that wizard's foul experiments?" He asked.

Alteara paused at the accusation. Foul experiment? She had never seen her master experiment on anything. Just what stories have been circulating among these people and just how much twisting and embellishment has occurred until they decided to attack this place? She guessed that they were from Izlude or some small village nearby to know of this place. She was about to reply when a familiar voice spoke from behind her.

"Foul? That is very insulting, worm; especially since it has been only because of my good graces that you even reached this point!"

Raven Huer emerged from the mansion, causing the townspeople to back up. Several swordsmen and merchants raised their weapons defiantly against him; fear was evident on their faces as they did so. There was a look of disgust on his face as he confronted the mob.

The lead swordsman's face twisted into a snarl. "We know of what you have been doing, wizard! Creating these foul undead monstrosities and experimenting on this girl!"

Raven Huer smiled menacingly in response. "You failed to realize it." He said.

The swordsman raised an eyebrow. "Realize what, wizard?"

Raven Huer shifted his attention from the lead swordsman to his apprentice. "That all of you, in your ignorance, are the experiments."

The crowd looked around. Fearful expressions were evident in their faces as they scanned the trees around them. Raven Huer laughed briefly. "The danger is not among the trees, you weak, pathetic fools!" He told them. "The danger is right here!" Raven Huer patted Alteara on the shoulder before re-entering the mansion. "Kill them all, Alteara. Don't let a single one escape."

Alteara drew her weapon and faced the crowd. She had never killed anyone before but for some reason she dreaded the thought of disobeying her master even more than she feared killing someone. The crowd watched her indignantly.

"That foul wizard has twisted this girl's mind and changed her into a murdering servant!" The lead swordsman cried out. "We must kill her and remove his taint on this world!" With that, he strode forward and took a wide swing at Alteara, who ducked the blow. Alteara grit her teeth as she thrust her blade into the man's belly.

_"Combat is won by the warrior who makes the most efficient strikes, Alteara. Not necessarily by the one who can make the most forceful blows. Don't stab to make your opponent angry, aim for a vital part whether it's the stomach, the intestines, liver or kidneys. Specifics aren't important so long as each blow from your weapon brings your enemy closer to death instead of spurring him on. And remember to twist your sword as soon as it plunges into someone's body in order to increase his pain and to make your strike more efficient."  
_  
Valen Xrossun's words resounded in Alteara's mind as she twisted her weapon inside the man's belly. She knew that her strike was effective as soon as she felt the man's death-scream vibrate on her weapon. The rest of the crowd gasped in horror and surprise even as they closed in on her. Alteara dragged her sword from the man's guts and pointed it to the rest of them. Her voice was even and determined when she addressed the mob.

"I won't let you touch my master's home."

The crowd howled in fury and surrounded her.

"This girl is a monster!"

"Yet another abomination by that devil, Raven Huer!"

Alteara backed up and concentrated on trying to reduce their numbers. Her "guardian" was not moving at all and neither her Master Raven Huer nor Valen Xrossun seemed inclined to help her.

_"The fear of death and pain is strong within every being, Alteara. Sometimes the threat of either is enough to thoroughly defeat a person. Never underestimate a person's cowardice or courage for that matter."_

Alteara raised her arm and focused on a spell. The magic worked for her this time, producing a wall of roaring flames in front of the merchants that tried to approach her. The merchants panicked and backed away while one swordsman mustered enough courage to jump in and attack her. His clothes caught fire for his efforts and his swing came wide because of the distraction.

Alteara easily side-stepped the man's swing and slashed at the back of his hand. The swordsman's weapon fell to ground as she plunged her sword into his gut. More swordsmen attacked as she recovered from her strike. She disarmed another man while avoided the stab of another. There were too many for her to fight, though. As she slew a third swordsman, someone knocked her sword from her hand. Quickly, she focused on another spell causing a sudden jet of ice to streak towards the one who disarmed her. The swordsman was suddenly encased in ice. His companions rushed her in retaliation; one of them struck her on the forehead with the hilt of his sword. Stunned, she fell to the ground.

"Mistress."

The khalitzburg finally moved; its swords simultaneously fell on one merchant; cutting him down in a welter of blood so fast that he didn't even have time to scream. The crowd saw the khalitzburg and panicked. Each of them knew that they were no match for the enormous, armored skeleton. The blood from the merchant sprayed on them, causing their torches to flicker and leaving bright red stains on their clothes.

"Thank you, guardian." Alteara said as she stood up and grabbed her sword. She was about to let them go when her master's orders flashed in her mind.

_"Kill them all, Alteara. Don't let a single one escape."_

She charged; stabbing her sword into the swordsman she had frozen earlier. The blade plunged into the ice and straight into his neck. The khalitzburg was chasing down the other merchants, hacking them down with one swing each. She had to kill them all. Those were her orders and she refused to disobey.

Soon all that remained of the crowd was a lone swordsman that tried to retreat into the trees. Alteara concentrated once again; the magic flowed from her outstretched palm and into the surrounding atmosphere. Moisture in the air condensed in front of her, transforming into semi-liquid ice. She willed the ice to move and, sure enough, it streaked towards the swordsman, freezing him in place. The swordsman's head remained unfrozen though, allowing him to cry out in agony; piteously pleading for mercy.

"Please! Please spare me!"

Alteara approached the swordsman. That was when she recognized his features, the familiar scar near his eye, the perpetual drunken look in his eyes...

The man was Sterphas Naekel.

Alteara gasped in realization. Her father didn't seem to recognize her in his panicked state. The khalitzburg stood behind Alteara, as if waiting for her reaction. Her master suddenly spoke from behind her.

"Now you understand why I let them through my forest."

Alteara stared at her father. Sterphas did not recognize her at all. She quickly realized that it was because he had never seen her without scars, or ragged clothes or other injuries. She trembled as a spell came to mind. This was what her master wanted to find out but could she do it? The swordsman was trapped in ice; all she had to do was...

"Please spare me! I'll do anything!"

Her father's pleas grew irksome to Alteara. She remembered pleading with the man to stop hitting her; to give her some food, not to sell her in a tavern and he responded to her pleas only by increasing his abuse. Electricity surged around her arms; the spell came naturally into mind, without her having to force it to come. The spell was ready.

"As you wish, Master Raven."

Alteara released the spell flawlessly. The bolt of lightning struck the frozen man violently, followed by a thunderous boom. It hurled him several feet into the air and sent him crashing into a nearby tree. The swordsman's charred remains crashed to the forest floor; twitching and smoking.

Raven Huer clapped his hands.

"Excellent technique, Alteara! It looks like you finally understand the secret to controlling your magic."

The rage within Alteara faded and for a moment she felt a deep sadness as she stared at the charred remains of Sterphas Naekel. The moment passed quickly. She turned to face her master and bowed at the compliment.

"Come along then, my apprentice. Now that I am confident on your loyalty, it's time we moved beyond the basics."

Alteara nodded and followed the wizard obediently into the mansion. Behind her the khalitzburg sheathed its swords and began to dispose of the bodies. There was no need to watch over the mistress now.


	5. The students of Raven Huer

**Scarred Silver**

**Chapter 5: The students of Raven Huer**

"What's the matter, girl? Tired already? How long is that sliver of a blade going to keep weighing you down?"

Valen Xrossun's sharp reprimand echoed loudly inside the training room. Alteara quickly adjusted her blade's position and pointed it towards the knight. A year had passed since the incident with her father and her lessons have progressed a lot since then. She had moved on from the simple straight-edged blade she had picked up hesitantly back then to a graceful, curved, three-foot long, one-hander. Valen kept his own two-handed sword thrust to the floor as he studied his pupil's stance.

"Good, now attack me once again, girl."

Alteara nodded and charged at the knight. Her blade cut smoothly through the air in an overhead slash. Valen quickly sidestepped the strike and backhanded her with a gauntleted fist. In defence, Alteara quickly recovered and stepped back; taking the force of the blow on the flat of her blade. The force of Valen's blow forced her to take another step backward.

"You're learning. Keep attacking then. Since you ruin your balance when you attempt to use a shield, you'll have to compensate by being able to shift quickly between attacking and defending stances."

Alteara nodded again as she thrust her weapon at Valen. Still keeping his sword down, the knight evaded the thrust with a twist of his shoulders. He raised his armored fist and struck Alteara. She met the attack once more with the flat of her blade, causing Valen to strike it squarely in the middle. Valen's blow caused the blade to vibrate from impact, jarring her arms.

"If you meet the blow head on you will break your weapon and likely your arms!" Valen sharply reprimanded her. "Let the blow glance off. It will strain your arm less and it will also unbalance the enemy and provide you an advantageous position."

Alteara staggered back and readjusted her weapon. Once more she placed herself in a fighting stance.

"Defend yourself this time, girl! I will make the attack!"

Suddenly, Valen Xrossun gripped his two-handed sword with one hand and slashed horizontally at Alteara. Surprised, she barely deflected the strike with her blade. Valen quickly picked up the pace, swinging his weapon in an overhead slash this time. Alteara allowed the sword cut to glance of her blade's edge and then positioned for a counter attack. Valen Xrossun's wide swing left his side open, a perfect opportunity to strike. Alteara's sword thrust in and...

"Excellent counter!"

Before Alteara's thrust could find its target though, Valen was already behind her; two-handed sword positioned to plunge into her back. Alteara lowered her weapon, her back was wide open to Valen's attack. If this was a real duel, his sword would run her right through and finish her in less than a second.

Valen sheathed his enormous weapon behind him and walked away. "The lesson is finished, girl." He said. "Return your weapons and leave."

Alteara bowed respectfully and quickly did as she was told. Two years of training with Valen had taught her many things. Among them was to never dawdle around the quick-tempered knight. She smiled to herself as she left the room. Two years ago she would have been on her knees from fatigue by now. Now, she considered a mock duel with Valen Xrossun as a good work out.

_"Don't get cocky…I can finish you off any time. Work for the day when this is no longer true, girl."  
_  
Alteara remembered Valen's words after their first mock duel. She knew that he held back the majority of his fighting prowess and she held no illusion of defeating him in direct combat. What she pondered on, though, was the nature of Valen's presence in her master's home. Neither he nor her master was a part of any guild and they had proven to be independent of each other on several occasions. Alteara even asked her "guardian" about it, even though the khalitzburg no longer shadowed her constantly.

_"Sir Valen resides in the mansion along with the master."_

The khalitzburg did not bother expanding on this obvious statement, leaving Alteara with absolutely nothing.

"Finished with Valen's training already? You take well to his teachings, pupil of mine."

Alteara turned to the sound of her master's voice. She had often passed the library on her way to her room, although this is the first time her Master Raven left the door open. She bowed respectfully at her master before speaking. "Sir Valen is a great teacher, Master Raven." She said.

Raven Huer rested his cheek on his fist as he stared lazily at his apprentice. "Of course he is." He answered. "I would not leave your training to him otherwise. You were pondering on the nature of Valen's presence here, right?"

Alteara's eyes widened briefly. She had no idea that her master was capable of reading thoughts.

"Mind reading has its own limitations, Alteara, but you were thinking so loudly that I couldn't help but overhear."

Her master's words puzzled Alteara. Thinking loudly? Was there a way for her thoughts not to be detected?

Raven Huer allowed himself a smile. "I have to teach you that skill sometimes." He said. "Regardless, I met Valen on my way to this world some time ago. I invited him to join me in finding a pupil to teach and he agreed."

Alteara listened intently. This was the first time she was going to hear about one of her teachers. Neither Master Raven nor Valen Xrossun was in the habit of explaining themselves or their motives.

"Like me, Valen has grown sick of simply being unchallenged in his power." Raven Huer continued. "You could say that he no longer felt the need to prove himself to anyone and he has been searching for a good fight for so long that he has decided to take a break. Now he's here, amusing himself with helping me." Raven Huer's expression became reflective. "And to think he used to be my student."

Alteara's eyes widened. "Sir Valen used to be your student, master?" She asked. "But-"

Raven shifted his attention back to his present student. "Unlikely isn't it? Valen was also a promising student back then. I also knew a bit of sword fighting so I taught him the basics. I was his master and he was my pawn. Eventually he mastered sword fighting far beyond my expectations so I let him do as he pleased."

Alteara grew confused. "But if you taught him, master-"

Raven Huer laughed briefly. "You wonder about my age, student." He answered. "That's not something I'm going to tell you directly. Find out if it makes you curious."

The wizard returned to his work; signalling to Alteara that she was dismissed.

'So Master Raven has had students before.' Alteara thought as she returned to her room to change. Her lessons were over for the day and she had a few hours until dinner time. She decided to walk about the mansion for a while.

Even though she had stayed there for two years, there were still rooms that she had not explored. There was one hall in particular that she often saw her master and Valen Xrossun visit. She decided to see for herself, what was in there.

"Welcome to the hall of Master Raven's students, girl."

Alteara looked up to find Valen inside the hall. "Sir Valen." She said.

The knight stared at one of the many portraits that hung on the walls of the hall. Alteara stared at the portrait; it was of a boy, around her age, holding a two-handed sword. Long, wavy, black hair covered the boy's scalp. Despite his age, the boy's eyes were hard and spoke of numerous battles fought. Underneath the portrait was the caption "Valen Xrossun".

"This was you?" Alteara asked.

The knight nodded. "Back when I was a mere student like you. It's been a long time…" Alteara looked around her. There were other portraits of people; each of them bore the look of power and confidence. All of them were around her age. Some were in armor, many held weapons while others were dressed simply. One portrait in particular stood out from the others, perhaps because there were two of them in a single painting. One was a boy, blond hair fell across his eyes and neck in long curls, his dark brown eyes spoke of courage and nobility. The other one was a girl, with black hair and vicious-looking green eyes that spoke of thirst for power. Alteara read the caption underneath the portrait. "Thomas Valorcrescent and Mira Kerarilvenae".

"The greatest of Raven Huer's students." Valen suddenly said.

Alteara stared in wonder at the portrait of the two. "What happened to them?" She asked.

For the first time since she had known him. Valen began to laugh; it was a joyless laughter that was ringed with wry amusement. "They're demigods now, girl." He replied. "That's how powerful they have become!"

Alteara's eyes widened in surprise at the answer. "Demigods? But I've never heard of them!"

Valen's expression became serious once more. "Of course you haven't." He answered. "Those two belong to another world, a place entirely separate from this one."

Alteara grew even more confused. "Another world? What do you mean?"

A hint of impatience crept into Valen's voice. "Let's just say that there are other worlds other than that of Rune-Midgard, girl. Hell is one world, Heaven is another. There are other worlds between them. Master Raven Huer is what you would call a "planar wanderer". He travels in between worlds from time to time, training people like me for no apparent reason. Maybe it's just to satisfy his strange sense of amusement or perhaps it's part of a greater plan. No one knows. I've been his student for more than half a millenium and he shares nothing."

Alteara's expression became thoughtful. "But if he's trained so many, then-" She said, mostly to herself.

Valen Xrossun turned to stare at his portrait once more. "I was a mere boy when I first met that master of ours, girl. He hasn't aged a year since then." He walked slowly walked out of the room. "You will have your own portrait here, girl. Of that I'm sure, as for what state of power Huer has planned for you…it's something I want to see for myself. That's one reason why I'm training you in the first place."

Alteara left the hall as well. Instead of learning more about her master, she considered him to be a mystery more than ever. Still the thought of being part of that hall made her smile. It was worth being a "pawn" all her life.


	6. Deicide

**Scarred Silver**

**Chapter 6: Deicide**

The axe came at Alteara clumsily. Its wielder, an orc warrior that her master had "plucked" from its tribe, grunted furiously when the strike glanced off the edge of her blade. Alteara waved her weapon about in front of the orc warrior, taunting it with her weapon's slow and graceful movements. The orc warrior roared in annoyance and charged again, swinging its axe wildly about. Alteara ducked another swing and thrust her blade upwards.

The orc warrior collapsed, its neck bled copiously from a gaping hole in it. Its comrades roared and brought their axes down on Alteara. Before the left orc could even land its blow, it was already trapped within the shards of ice that its opponent unleashed. The right orc's blow glanced off her weapon. It did not roar in frustration but in agony. Alteara had sliced its arm off as soon as it struck.

"Well that's all I need to see for today." Raven Huer said from afar. Next to him, Valen was also watching the fight intently. "You're certainly improving, Alteara. Maybe next time I'll have you handle a bunch of high orcs instead. In the meantime, take the rest of the day off. I have some matters to take care of."

Alteara bowed politely to her master, who was already leaving the practice room. A year had passed since her conversation with Sir Valen in the hall of students. All traces of her past meant nothing now. She didn't even remember the fool she was so angry at and had electrocuted years ago. Her entire world revolved around two things only. Getting stronger and obeying the wizard's every command.

"It looks like Huer's done with you today, girl." Valen spoke. "I suppose you'd like to use the opportunity to travel outside for a while."

Alteara raised an eyebrow. "But it would only be for today, Sir Valen." She said. "I can't travel-"

Valen snorted and began to arrange the weapons in the room. "You don't get it do you?" He said. Master Raven has decided to let you build on what skills you have. You won't be getting any lessons until he sees what you're lacking. The only way he can see that to see you perform in a real situation. So start traveling."

Without another word, Valen left as well. Alteara was silent for a while. Where could she possibly go? In an hour, she had packed some belongings. She would probably return to Izlude, to see how the town fared since she left it three years ago. Perhaps she would continue to the island of Byalan. Just to see how effective the skills her Master Raven had thought her. The door that led to the forest outside opened and-

"You...where is Master Raven Huer?"

Alteara found herself looking up at a woman. A single look at her green eyes was enough to cause her to step back in fear. Those green eyes were the fiercest eyes she had seen in her life. They seemed to be constantly glaring at whatever was in front of them.

"Where is Master Raven Huer?" The woman asked again.

Alteara tried to speak and failed. The woman projected an awesome fighting aura that far surpassed that of Sir Valen's. Long, night-black hair reached up to the woman's waist while two curved blades, one of them was longer than the other, were strapped to her hips. Her arms were well-developed with muscles though they were slender. A large bow was slung over her shoulders. "W-Who are you?" She asked.

The woman fixed her gaze on Alteara. Almost at once, she felt her knees give way, forcing her to kneel before the figure. When the woman spoke again, her voice seemed to be accompanied by the dying screams of hundreds of soldiers. It was hard to discern the words but Alteara heard them anyway. "You are a student, just like I was. I will give you my name, girl if it will make you find that man already."

The shrieking din stopped as the woman fell silent and the renewed itself when she spoke.

"Mira Kerarilvenae."

As soon as the name was spoken, the sounds of war that surrounded them grew louder. Alteara cringed at the sound. This was Mira Kerarilvenae, one of the demigods that Sir Valen was talking about. The mere power and ferocity she radiated froze her to the spot. She could already imagine the woman drawing one of the blades from their sheaths and ending her life with less than a mere flick of the wrist.

"Cease that noise!" As if obeying the new voice, the noises stopped and Mira turned her attention to the wizard that approached her.

"Master Raven Huer."

Raven Huer grinned and tilted his head towards the woman. "Mira Kerarilvenae." He said in exasperation. "Same as always, no respect whatsoever."

Mira did not pay any attention to the wizard's words. "I need your help, Master Raven."

Raven raised an eyebrow in response.

"Oh this is interesting, Mira. Why should I help you? I recall you trying to slice my head off during our last meeting."

Mira Kerarilvenae took a step forward; her footsteps did not make a single sound although the aura she projected did not lessen.

"When Tom and I left your tutelage, Master Raven, you promised us that we could ask one favor from you and you would help us no matter what it was. I am holding you to your word."

The smile disappeared from Raven Huer's face. With a gestured he caused a powerful aura of magic to surround him as well. Alteara retreated to the far side of the hall. The imminent battle would be beyond her in all ways. "I am not held by anything, Mira!" He said menacingly. "You maybe a demigoddess as well as an avatar of all carnage but I am still your mentor!"

Suddenly, there was a brief moment of undisturbed silence. Alteara could have sworn that everything seemed to slow down when Mira drew the longer blade from its sheath. There was a massive flash of red energy followed by a thunderous boom that caused the entire mansion to shake in its foundations. When Alteara's eyes adjusted to the flash, Mira Kerarilvenae was standing inches away from her master. The blade, which constantly dripped with blood, was a finger's breadth away Raven Huer's neck where it shook against an invisible barrier. The wizard's face was utterly serious. His right hand crackled with multicolored energy as that threatened to explode at any moment. Mira stepped back and sheathed her weapon.

"Your might is as awesome as always, Master Raven. Only you can help me in this endeavor. If I cannot hold you to anything then I am asking you to help me."

Raven Huer smiled again. "Why me?" He asked. "You have Tom for that don't you?"

Mira was silent for a while and looked away. "Tom...he won't approve of this endeavor. I have to do this without his help."

Raven Huer shrugged his shoulders and glanced at Alteara. She swallowed hard at the gesture. There was a strange light in her master's eyes.

"What do you want from me then, Mira?" Raven Huer asked.

Mira's eyes narrowed as she followed the wizard's gaze to Alteara. "I want you to help me kill Caelscant Tremvor."

Raven Huer raised his eyebrows briefly. "Caelscant Tremvor is a god of death."

Mira smiled slightly in response. "Did you think I'd ask for your help if he was anything less?"

Raven shrugged his shoulders. "I expected as much." He replied. "Fine then, there's no need for reasons, this is the only favor I will do for you Mira. Once I help you slay this god, that's it."

Mira suddenly drew the smaller blade from its sheath and sliced at the air. A hole opened out of empty space, Alteara could see a great fire from the other side of the hole. Large, winged and horned creatures flew about in the place. Without another word, Mira stepped inside the hole.

"Alteara!" Raven Huer called.

Alteara rushed towards her master.

"I have some business to take care of." Her master instructed. "You heard what Mira and I are planning. This may take a while so, while I'm gone, I must ask you to look after this place. Raven Huer's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Keep a close eye on Valen." He whispered.

With that, Raven Huer stepped into the hole and vanished. Almost at once the hole closed and Alteara was alone in the hall. 'On Sir Valen?' She thought.

As if on cue, Valen Xrossun appeared near the stairs that led to the upper levels of the house. Alteara noticed a strange light inside his eyes as he hurried upstairs.

'What am I going to do?'

* * *

Raven Huer wrinkled his nose in disgust as another squad of demons flew past him and Mira. No matter how often he visited, the Abyss just never got any better. It smelled eternally of filth and demonic corpses. It just had to be his luck that Caelscant Tremvor was a god of evil and chaos as well as death.

"Your new student is quite interesting, Master Raven."

Mira Kerarilvenae led the way. No demon dared to come within a hundred feet of her. Does who accidentally did were sliced apart by invisible blades.

"Is she now? I wonder what that compliment means coming from one of my strongest students."

Mira's eyes narrowed at the topic.

"I am a demigoddess of carnage, Master Raven. I can sense anything related to my sphere of power. Trust me, that girl will drown in carnage before her life ends."


	7. Memory

**Scarred Silver**

**Chapter 7: Memory**

'What am I supposed to do?'

Alteara shuddered as she walked along the mansion's many corridors. All of a sudden everything was so big inside her master's house. She remembered what had happened a few days ago. Her master had accompanied one of his students, Mira Kerarilvenae, to what appeared to be hell itself so they could kill a god.

_"Keep an eye on Valen..."_

Alteara was puzzled over her master's last instructions. Keep an eye on Sir Valen? What was he planning? What could she do if he was doing something that was against her master? She couldn't possibly fight him!

"Girl! Get over here!" Valen suddenly called out.

Alteara immediately complied and rushed over to where Sir Valen's voice had come from. For the past few days, Valen had been wandering the house as if searching for something. He could not be bothered in anyway. "Yes, Sir Valen?" She asked.

The knight stood inside another large room. This one was bare, save for a lone portrait that hung by the northern portion of the wall. It was a portrait of Raven Huer and beside him was...

"Lizan Killranae." Valen breathed.

Alteara turned to face Sir Valen the moment she heard him speak those words. "Who's Lizan Killranae?" She asked.

Valen did not look at Alteara as he approached the portrait. "Lizan Killranae is one of the two people in existence that Raven Huer calls "friend", girl. But it is not her that I am interested in but the other one."

Alteara stared at the portrait and at once she could understand what sir Valen was talking about. There was something in the way her Master Raven stood beside the woman in the picture that spoke of equality, not the usual master-student relationship that Raven Huer used to deal with anyone else. "She is...a friend of his?" She asked.

Alteara stared at the portrait in awe. She had no idea that her master could ever call someone his friend. This Lizan Killranae had the look of an archer. A massive bow was slung over her shoulder and her arms and shoulders were wiry and well-built. She had waist-long, flowing, black hair that contrasted against Raven Huer's white scalp and her eyes were soft and blue, as if to oppose everything the wizard was.

"You'll be seeing something more interesting than that soon enough, girl."

Valen suddenly thrust his two-handed sword to the floor. Strange markings flared out of nowhere, inscribing themselves all over the room's floor, walls and ceiling. In response, the portrait flashed with brilliant, white light. Alteara raised her arms to protect her eyes.

"Open your eyes, girl, we're here!"

Alteara complied once again. She was no longer in the same room as the portrait. Instead she was in a large, dome-shaped room. Sir Valen was staring at a strange-looking glass sphere that floated in the center of the room.

"Look at this, girl! Can you feel the sheer power from it? This is Raven Huer's most carefully-guarded secret!"

The knight rubbed his gauntleted hands together while Alteara moved closer to get a better look. Her master's most carefully-guarded secret? What was so special about this glass sphere? Nonetheless, even she could sense the powerful aura of magic it emitted.

"Sir Valen...what are we doing here? What is that thing?"

Valen laughed harshly.

"What are "we" doing here? I'll tell you, girl! I have discovered Raven Huer's secret and he has no idea that I know about this room. Do you have any idea what an accomplishment that is? To finally do something that he has no knowledge of?"

Alteara stared warily at the knight. She had always thought that Sir Valen was her master's confidant, but he was behaving so differently right now.

"I have discovered the one thing that can destroy Raven Huer, girl. The one thing that can accomplish what the gods, the arch devils, the demon princes and the celestial paragons couldn't! As soon as I unleash this thing, I will destroy that arrogant bastard and take his place!"

Alteara's hand instinctively went for her blade. Sir Valen was quick to notice this though. The knight did not bother to draw his weapon.

"You will attack me, girl? What for? To protect him? Do you know what plans he has for you?"

Alteara positioned herself in a martial stance. She wasn't interested in what someone else had to say about whatever her master planned for her. Her master was threatened and her instinct was to fight for him. Sir Valen merely laughed harshly again and placed his hand on the two-handed sword he had thrust to the ground.

"I'll indulge you then." Valen said. "Besides, I'll need you docile for this particular task."

Alteara and Valen circled each held his weapon in an easy, one-handed grip. The blade swayed gently from side to side as if trying to mesmerize her. Compared to Valen's weapon, Alteara's blade seemed so small and fragile.

"Distracted at the start of a battle?" Valen taunted. "I taught you better than that, girl!"

The two-handed sword smashed against Alteara's weapon, snapping its blade in two. Alteara rushed forward, the broken remains of her weapon still in her hand. She could still cut him with the fragmented sword.

"You are nothing more than Huer's lap dog, girl! You can't dream of ever fighting me seriously." Valen's hand suddenly shot forward, grabbing Alteara by the collar. He squeezed mercilessly, tightening the cloth around her neck until she dropped the hilt of her blade. "Weak as you are, I have certain uses for you." He said. "It's about time you fulfilled my purposes for teaching you anything."

Alteara struggled to break free from Valen's grip. It was impossible; he had a hold was like a vise. The more she struggled the tighter Valen maintained it. "What are you planning, Sir Valen?" She asked.

The knight smiled and dragged her near the glass sphere. "This orb is called "Memory"." He explained. "It holds remembered images from Huer's inestimable life span. From the day he first acquired his magic to the reason why he does what he does. At first I had no idea why Huer would keep such things so hidden when memories would mean nothing to him."

Alteara stared at the orb in wonder. The memories of her master? What kind of memories would an immortal wizard who wandered different worlds have? Her sense of responsibility overrode her curiosity though. As fascinating as it would be to find out, she knew full well that Valen wanted to use this orb to destroy her master. Valen suddenly noticed her distraction and shook her violently.

"After so many years of delving into his secrets, an activity that had to be carefully disguised, mind you, I finally discovered his reasons."

Valen's expression became fiercely proud. His eyes were lit by a strange frenzied light.

"Huer is a wizard of unparalleled power. Challenging him head on is worse than committing suicide. Everyone who has tried fighting him has paid with more than their lives. You know this don't you, girl? Even someone as inexperienced as you can sense the tremendous power he exudes."

Valen's grip loosened slightly. At once, Alteara took a lungful of air before nodding. She was at Valen's mercy now. Then again, she was at his mercy the moment he raised his sword. "As powerful as he is, even Raven Huer has a weakness and the key to finding that is within "Memory"." Valen continued. "Unfortunately I cannot activate the god-cursed thing. You however, can. You will activate "Memory", girl and I will use it to destroy Huer."

Alteara struggled to free herself again. The thought of helping this ungrateful knight to destroy her master was revolting! She would never do as he asked! "Never!" She spat. "What makes you think the key to destroy Master Raven is in his memories, anyway?"

The knight laughed harshly and let go of Alteara.

"I'll give you some of the details then, girl. "Memory" is the true collection of Raven Huer's memories. Everything he has experienced in his life is recorded in that sphere. That alone makes it an object of power. Think of what you could gain by merely witnessing everything he has gone through! But its true power lies not in the sum of his memories but in a single recollection of an event." Valen stared hungrily at the scintillating sphere. When he got close though, a spark of electricity surged from "Memory", keeping him back. "When Raven Huer condensed his memories into this sphere, he made an altered copy of it. The altered copy is what he uses up to now, which means that Raven Huer's own recollection of his past is flawed. The true events that happened to him are found only in this sphere. Including the reason why he did that in the first place."

Alteara was silent. It was getting harder and harder to understand what was going on. She had to agree with Valen on certain things. Being the teacher of so many generations of students already implied that her master was hundreds of years old. But now when she thought about it...the power he held must have taken hundreds of years more to accumulate.

"When you activate "Memory", girl, you will be a witness to the true events of Raven Huer's past. It is something I would rather do myself but I cannot. You will sift through his memories until you find that event. The event that Raven Huer chose to forget and you will expose it. While the clues are vague, I have already discovered why he chose to forget that event." Valen's grip on his two-handed sword tightened in anticipation. The sphere seemed to sparkle even brighter as he spoke. "When Huer remembers it, he will be destroyed. In the process, this world, and so many other worlds as well...but that's fine. A price must be paid to destroy such a being of power. Go then, slave girl, be a witness and I will rip that memory from your mind after you are done."

With that Valen suddenly pushed Alteara towards the sphere. The force of his push sent Alteara staggering uncontrollably towards the sphere. She gasped as light from "Memory" engulfed her.

Valen Xrossun blinked as the girl he pushed disappeared in a blinding flash of light. Then he chuckled to himself and sat back. He will have his victory soon.

* * *

It was as if the blinding light never dimmed when Alteara opened her eyes. She was surrounded by empty whiteness. A chill went through her when she realized that she could have gone blind but, as soon as she looked down, she saw her hands clearly. She wasn't blind, there was simply nothing to look at.

"Hello there!"

Someone called out from behind Alteara. She turned around, hoping that whoever it was would have an explanation for what was happening. From a distance she saw someone walking towards her. Her eyes widened as she got a better look. She had just seen this person. The long, black hair, the enormous bow...

"Lizan Killranae?"

"Sort of." The woman answered with a smile. Her smile was nothing like the vicious grin that Alteara's master constantly had. It was a warm, friendly smile and, despite the oddness of her situation, it helped Alteara relax.

"What do you mean by "sort of"?"

"You are inside "Memory" remember? I am a spell placed here to guide observers. Raven Huer gave me Lizan Killranae's personality because he believed that she was kinder and gentler to the people she educates that he is."

"Then...what happens now?"

Lizan Killranae's image chuckled and gestured to the whiteness before them.

"Now you get to be privy to your master's greatest secret. Shall we begin?"


	8. The beginning

**Scarred Silver**

**Chapter 8: The Beginning**

'His greatest secret...' Alteara stared at the spell done in the image of Lizan Killranae, unable to respond clearly to what she had just heard.

"I should just start." The spell continued. "You won't be here for long and your time will run out if I wait each time you're dumbfounded."

The whiteness suddenly became dark. Now, Alteara couldn't see her own hand in front of her. She heard the spell speak right beside her; its tone reassuring.

"Look closely ahead of you." The spell said. "Tell me what you see."

Alteara did as the spell asked. There was something at a distance ahead of her; a single point of light amidst all the darkness. When she focused on it, the point seemed to come nearer until she could see something within the light. "I see...children?" She asked in confusion.

Within the light were two children; a boy and a girl, both of them looked no older than ten. The light both emanated from them and illuminated them.

The boy was surrounded by a nimbus of silvery light. There was a somber mien about him, more fitting for a man decades older. His white hair was swept back and touched the nape of his neck. He was lean and fit; with his arms and neck already showing strength. He wore a loose-fitting, gray shirt with pants to match. His face was sharp-angled, with a proud jaw-line, prominent cheek-bones and an aquiline nose. He looked at the girl with a sort of gentle affection that belied all the hardness about him and held her hand in his.

The girl was surrounded by a nimbus of golden light but even that light was outshone by her flowing, golden hair that reached her ankles. She was a head shorter than the boy, with features much softer than his, a small nose and lips to match. She looked back at him, returning that affection he showed with a smile.

"Children, hm?" The spell said. "A boy and a girl no doubt. They appear differently to each viewer. You have an interesting choice."

"Who are they?" Alteara asked.

"They are the Overdeities whom all things can trace their roots back to and they have many names. The boy is The Shaper, The Order Father, God, Form, Matter. The girl is The Source, The Chaos Mother, Goddess, Essence, Magic. Before anything else existed, it was only the two of them."

The light that the two emanated coalesced and shone even brighter until it dispelled all the darkness around Alteara. Suddenly, the two were surrounded by several figures. Alteara squinted, trying to focus on them but they all appeared blurry and indistinct.

"The two of them brought forth the power of true creation." The spell continued. "And they conceived their first children. They are the first pantheon, direct children of The Shaper and The Source. The Proto-Deities as the Relinam called them."

"The Relinam?" Alteara asked. "And why can't I see their faces?"

"They're a culture that got really good with naming things. That's all you need to know about them" The spell explained. "And you cannot see them clearly because the Proto-deities are not as nice to your senses as their parents are. I blur them out for your own protection. As much as they wished that they were, however, the Proto-deities were not the only ones born of their parents."

As the spell was talking, something from the Overdeities; a black...substance wafted from them that caused the seven to recoil. The blackness continued to spread; like ink or blood slowly pouring into clear water. While the seven continued to back away, the blackness began to take form. Alteara's eyes widened in horror as the thing began to take a solid shape.

It was huge. It was bigger than any building Alteara had ever seen. Even Prontera, with great towers and fortresses would be dwarfed by the thing. It loomed over everyone, casting a shadow over them. Alteara could barely make out what it was. Gigantic, blade-like, black feathers extended into all directions. Bird-like claws poked out of the thing at strange angles, like the twisted branches of a dead tree. Only a few of them actually served the purpose of keeping it standing up. But what really arrested Alteara's vision was its "head". All she could see of its head was a great, jagged beak and the eye. It had a single bird's eye at the center of its head; a gigantic blood red sphere that stared viciously at everything. Despite the horrific sight, Alteara felt calm; partly because she was assured by the spell's presence, partly because the sight of the eye was somehow familiar.

"The Proto-deities had one more sibling." The spell went on. "They didn't appreciate the sight of it and neither of the Overdeities planned on explaining themselves."

As Alteara looked on. One of the seven figures suddenly walked forward, placing itself between the black horror and the Overdeities. Though she couldn't see its features clearly, the height and the broad shoulders made Alteara assume it was a man.

"That's Meggidas; "The Eldest" as he likes to call himself." The spell explained. "The Prideful One" as the rest of his siblings called him. "He believes that he was born first and no one has challenged him on that because he's really the only proto-deity who cares about birth order." The spell's voice suddenly lowered. "He called his youngest sibling a mistake; an abomination. The Relinam followed suit by classifying it as "Proto-deific anomaly". Imagine the pride that it took. Walking over to your parents, The Overdeities, and telling them..."

Alteara suddenly stepped back from the spell; sensing a sudden great deal of anger coming from it. A vicious scowled marred Lizan Killranae's face.

"...telling them that they made a mistake!" The spell shouted at the figure. A few moments passed. Or was it a few minutes? Alteara couldn't tell. Eventually the spell calmed down again. The rest of the proto-deities had moved forward as well. They all raised their arms at the towering horror. There was a great explosion of light and it was gone.

"The other proto-deities agreed with him so they ganged up on the pathetic thing and sealed it away where no one could see its horrid visage and they wouldn't be reminded that their parents made a mistake." The spell's voice continued to seethe with each mention of the word "mistake". "They would have killed it but they had just enough respect for the Overdeities to just hide it away. So the "abomination" was gone and the proto-deities decided to finally do something with themselves. Each one of them began to create, just as their parents created. From the seven proto-deities came forth the seven realities, each with hundreds of worlds."

The sight of the Overdeities surrounded by their children faded away while the illumination remained. Alteara now found herself staring at a lone blurred figure looking up at the black-feathered horror she had seen earlier.

"The proto-deities concerned themselves with their new creations, content with only being vaguely aware of each other and their parents. For countless centuries they peacefully ignored each other while the thing they sealed away remained in its prison plane. That changed when one of the proto-deities invented something."

The image of Lizan smirked at the blurred figure before them. "If Meggidas invented pride then his sister, Hasmiya, invented envy." It continued. "She grew to loathe Meggidas's creations and wanted to destroy them but she didn't want to be embroiled in a fight with her "eldest" brother so she chose to send someone else. She bargained with the "abomination", promising to release it so it can wreak havoc on Meggidas's world; the world of the proto-deity who was the first to despise it. Her youngest sibling agreed and she broke it free from its prison plane."

The sight of Hasmiya and the horror disappeared as well. Alteara suddenly found herself standing on actual solid ground. They were in a great marble hall now. Great pillars of white stone flanked them, supporting a ceiling so high that Alteara could barely make anything out of it. The floor was white marble and covered with a massive carpet of soft, red cloth. Before them was an enormous square block; an altar of some sort where the blackened bones of some great beast lay smoking. It was flanked by a pair of golden braziers lit with flames great enough to consume a cottage with ease.

Before for the altar stood a man.

"He is Alestrovon." The spell explained before Alteara could even ask a question. "He is the first son of Meggidas and the greatest of that proto-deity's creations. The prideful one lavished his favored son with his best gifts and his strongest powers."

"Alestrovon..." Alteara whispered the name. The spell looked at him sharply.

"You may say it here where you are protected." The spell said. "Outside of "Memory" saying that name will destroy you if you are too weak to defend yourself from the very tiny fraction of his power you invoke with it."

Alteara looked at the man. Save for his head, Alestrovon was clad completely in a massive suit of armor. Every inch of his body was protected by the gold-trimmed, black metal. Attached to his back were a pair of swords that crossed each other. Each blade was shaped like an arrow-head that extended for five feet into a wicked point. Both had no cross-guard and had a hilt meant for two hands. They were made of the same black metal as Alestrovon's armor. With his back turned, Alteara could not see his face but he had swept back, black hair that touched his shoulders. He was a tall man, well over seven feet in height by Alteara's guess, and had a build to match.

To Alteara's surprise, it was as if an enormous hole was ripped from the air above the altar. Alestrovon was taken aback but he did not take even a single step backward as the blackness above him grew in size. To her horror, an eye peered through the hole, the lone red eye of the thing that the proto-deities sealed away. The hole grew even larger as the thing poked its entire head through to stare at Alestrovon.

"The outcast sibling came to Meggidas's reality with the desire to destroy it." The spell said. "But as soon as it felt the touch of reality and freedom, that desire faded away. All it wanted was to be free of its "siblings" and live on its own.

Alestrovon, upon seeing the thing's head, took a step forward. For some reason, Alteara was more afraid of the man drawing his swords and attacking rather than the horror making its attack. But Alestrovon did not draw his weapons. Instead he extended a hand. Confused, Alteara looked to the spell and found it smiling.

"Unlike his father, Alestrovon welcomed the thing and befriended it. It responded in kind and the two of them forged a bond right then and there. The thing emerged completely from its long imprisonment and into Meggidas's reality."

The Alteara gasped as the pillars around her suddenly distorted in shape. It wasn't just the pillars too. The floor beneath her buckled and heaved, the walls twisted about as if she was looking at them through a fire.

"The outcast sibling realized that its form was so alien to the created realities that it destabilized them." The spell explained. "Through great pain, it reshaped itself; choosing to mimic the form of the first being it didn't repulse."

Sure enough, the head of the horror dissolved into a liquid blackness, like thick ink pouring into the altar from the hole above. The blackness converged at the altar and then...a figure emerged. Alteara gasped at the sight. She heard the spell beside her chuckle.

"When Alestrovon asked for its name, the outcast sibling had none to offer." The spell continued. "All it ever heard to address it was "abomination, mistake and anomaly". So Alestrovon gave it one."

The blackness above the altar disappeared completely. Standing on top of it now was a man that Alteara easily recognized. He was tall but a head shorter than Alestrovon. With long, messy silver hair and unmistakable red eyes. He was naked for a while but he raised his arms and a robe of purple suddenly materialized around him.

""It" Suddenly became "He"." The spell said. "And Alestrovon gave him a name. The so called "abomination" became Raven Huer."


	9. Triumvirate

(A/N): This story has undergone some revisions and retconning. You may want to go back to previous chapters or this one may confuse you.

**Scarred Silver**

**Chapter 9: Triumvirate**

Two days had passed since Valen had pushed Alteara into "Memory". During those two days, he had remained in the secret room, patiently waiting for the girl to emerge. He couldn't help but smile in anticipation. He had made his move at last and he was nervous. Nervous! The mere thought of it nearly made him laugh to himself. For five centuries he had never felt this much fear. He wasn't sure if the girl was going to come back from "Memory", what state she would be in, if he could make use of what she had learned or if Raven Huer was going to return before everything was ready. This was a true gamble and he was not even sure if the reward was going to be worth it.

Valen could not even remember when he first realized that he had to do this. It certainly wasn't during the time he was still learning under Raven Huer. Sometime during his five centuries of wandering, he had come to the conclusion that he had to be the one to slay Raven Huer or die trying. He didn't know when but he knew why.

'The student must surpass the master.' Valen reminded himself. This was a truth he had accepted even before he found a means to extend his life and wander the worlds. He had been content before in simply walking his own path and trying to map his own way to surpassing Raven Huer. But as the years went by, the more the truth imposed itself upon him. There was no other way but to defeat Raven Huer. He struggled against it and hurled himself from one challenge to another. But for each enemy he defeated, the more insignificant each victory became. Nothing seemed to matter. It had reached the point where he was completely convinced that even the slaying of a god would not give him any satisfaction. It had to be Raven Huer.

So he started to set Raven Huer's death as his goal; off-handedly at first. He began to investigate the means by which he could be slain. He searched for students like him; asking them what they know, attempting to gain their aid in his endeavor. He was met with little success. The difficulty, however, spurred him on unlike what he had been doing before. He knew he was on the right path this time. The centuries went by swiftly while he combed each world he came upon for any clue as to how to defeat his nigh-invincible master.

Finally, he had found the way. He stumbled upon Deicidium, the plane of true killing. He saw the monolith and he discovered what it was for. Someone had once managed to defeat Raven Huer before. The mere confirmation of such a possibility had sent his spirit flying. The pieces started to come together at last. Alestrovon had the means to kill Raven Huer. He had almost done so. In response, Raven Huer sealed away the very knowledge of what that thing was that Alestrovon had. The sealing was so perfect that no one remembered that fight. Not even Raven Huer himself. Valen saw that his path was clear. He needed to find out what happened and acquire what Alestrovon had used. He would not fail like Alestrovon did. He studied under Raven Huer and knew how the man behaved.

Another century of fruitless investigation went by. Every trace of Alestrovon's worshippers had been eradicated. Raven Huer was completely thorough in hiding his weakness. It was then that Valen received help from the strangest of sources.

Lizan Killranae invited him to her personal plane and had told him of "Memory". _'I would love to see how you fare.'_ She had explained when he asked her why she would help him. _'I think you're going to fail, Valen, but I would like to see the attempt. There might be some small chance that you might succeed.'_

Valen had seized the opportunity when he encountered Raven Huer on his way to Rune-Midgard. When he managed to search the fragment of Raven Huer's personal plane that had been transported to the fledgling world, the mere sight of "Memory" confirmed Lizan's words. He knew that it was the time to act.

Valen unsheathed the blade on his back and held it before him, tracing the engravings with one finger. If all else failed, he would still have his sword. He chuckled once more; barely able to contain his anticipation.

* * *

During her years under her master, Alteara continued to be amazed by the power he commanded and the things that he did. She had known from the start that he was more than just a powerful wizard and she knew that she wouldn't be surprised if she found out that he wasn't fully human.

Perhaps it was because of those things that she was completely surprised to see her master walking side by side with another person, smiling genuinely and conversing. The scene looked…ordinary, so much so that it disturbed her.

"That's an understandable reaction." The spell beside her said. "Yes, there was a time when even Raven Huer didn't have a care in the world."

Alteara looked on as her master and Alestrovon walked through a grand hall of white stone. They were laughing as they conversed while strange spheres of glowing light passed them. They walked through a doorway and out into a balcony where they stared out to a great plain before them. Alteara stood breathless as she saw an ocean of rolling grassland stretch out as far as she could see. Not even a single rock or tree jutted out of the green. The sky above them was a clear blue with only a few feathery clouds. Though it was bright as if it were noon, there was no sun in the sky.

"For a long time, Raven Huer remained by Alestrovon's side as the greater deity went about his duties." The spell continued. "Alestrovon had his own created world to watch over and had a presence in several worlds as well. That he was the son of Raven's hated sibling, Meggidas, did nothing to hurt their friendship. Alestrovon kept Raven's presence a secret from his father and Raven wanted nothing more than to never have to deal with his siblings ever again."

The sky suddenly became dark red in color. Both Raven Huer and Alestrovon looked up in concern as a great hole, the same sort that Raven Huer had emerged from, appeared. It was as if the sky had been made of thin cloth and ripped apart. Within the tear, there was only darkness.

"Hasmiya waited patiently for Raven Huer to begin wreaking havoc upon Meggidas's reality." The spell said. "It soon became clear that her youngest sibling had no interest in fulfilling his side of their bargain. She sent her children to attack Alestrovon's world, using her own power to mask her movements from Meggidas."

The spell paused and smirked at the resulting scene. An army of winged humanoids emerged from the hole, swooping straight towards Alestrovon and Raven Huer. Alteara looked a little closer to see that the humanoids lacked features. Their bodies were genderless and lacked any hair or clothes. They didn't even have eyes. Many of them had skin the color of iron, others like copper. A few had golden skin. They were armed with halberds and charged with abandon.

"Meggidas may have invented pride but the rest of his siblings weren't short on it." The spell said. "Hasmiya refused to believe that some abomination that crawled out of her mother could possess much power."

Both Alestrovon and Raven Huer flew from the balcony, meeting the army head on. Alestrovon's twin blades cut through his foes with ease. Though he was wingless, he flew gracefully through the air, his face not even showing the least bit difficulty in fighting. A cloud of roiling darkness billowed from Raven Huer's outstretched hands, engulfing hundreds of his enemies. When the darkness cleared, there was nothing left of them.

The scene faded before Alteara and was replaced with Alestrovon and Raven Huer walking casually across the smoking ruins of what appeared to be a city made entirely of gold. Alteara could see several towers that had fallen, broken buildings and great craters all over the paved streets. Bodies lay everywhere, many of them cut to pieces while others were charred or frozen.

"Alestrovon and Raven crushed the attack and retaliated by crossing over to Hasmiya's reality." The spell continued. "They picked a world to attack and descended upon it, destroying everything they saw as revenge. It was on their attack on the Golden City of Iminrith, Hasmiya's favored city, that they met someone important."

The scene faded again and was replaced by the sight of Alestrovon and Raven descending a golden staircase down an enormous pit. The entire place was light-less save for a glowing orb that Raven Huer had conjured on his palm. Minutes passed before they reached the bottom.

Alteara looked at the spell, waiting for it to go on when she noticed a very fond smile on its face.

"Within the bowels of Iminrith, they discovered what, perhaps, was the reason why Hasmiya was so envious." The spell continued. "The proud and powerful proto-deity had created an abomination of her own. A misshapen thing so radically different from her chosen people that she sealed it away so no one could ever lay eyes upon it."

"Why didn't she just destroy it then?" Alteara asked.

"That would have released its spirit and allowed all the other proto-deities to see it as it made its way to the Overdeities." The spell answered. "Hasmiya refused to have anything scrutinize her mistake."

Alteara looked on to see just what horror the proto-deity had created. She frowned upon discovering that it had the form of an ordinary human being; a woman in fact. A tall woman with long black hair was chained to the golden chamber. Her arms were raised and chained to opposing walls. She wore an enormous golden collar, the size of a millstone, with chains attached to it that extended in four directions. Her legs were also chained to the floor. Despite her bindings, the woman looked up at Raven Huer defiantly, her bright blue eyes luminescent in the chamber's shadows. Alteara recognized the woman immediately.

'Lizan Killranae…' She thought.

Alestrovon shattered the chains with a swing of his massive swords while her master offered a hand to help the woman stand up. She was naked but it didn't take long for her to materialize some clothes to wear; the very same clothes that Lizan Killranae wore in her portrait in Raven Huer's mansion.

"Raven Huer knew all too well what sort of fate that this abomination had to endure." The spell said. "He extended a hand in friendship, just as Alestrovon had extended one to him. The abomination responded in kind and asked to join them. Both of them agreed and the duo became a trio. Like Raven Huer, the abomination had no name to call herself. It fell upon Alestrovon to give her one and he chose the name "Lizan Killranae"."

The spell's smile widened and split into a grin as it continued. "Lizan was all too eager to help with the attack against her "mother". The three of them ravaged Iminrith and slew many of Lizan's "properly formed" brothers and sisters." The spell said the words with more than a trace of mockery. "Hasmiya was furious and decided to take matters into her own hands. It wasn't long until Meggidas and the rest of the proto-deities found out what had happened."

The scene changed once more. Now, Alestrovon, Raven and Lizan were back in Alestrovon's hall. Alteara marveled at the contentment in all their faces.

"The three of them didn't care about what Raven Huer's siblings were planning." The spell continued. "Secure in their friendship, they were ready to face anything."

The spell's expression saddened.

"Those were glorious, carefree days for Raven Huer. I'm sure that he would be willing to let everything be destroyed if he could go back to them. He holds no greater regret than letting those days come to an end."


	10. Pride Aside

(A/N): It appears that some of the terms I've been using may have caused some confusion. Since it is unlikely that I can explain in-story, I will explain here. When Memory refers to Alestrovon as "Greater Deity" it is not in a comparative sense but rather as an intrinsic rank to show how powerful he is. The Relinam used a simple system to rank gods. From strongest to weakest, they are; Overdeity, Proto-deity, Greater Deity, Intermediate Deity, Lesser Deity, Demideity, Quasideity.

**Scarred Silver**

**Chapter 10: Pride aside**

Alteara watched as her master, Alestrovon and Lizan Killranae stood on the ramparts of a great castle. From the design and the materials, she guessed that they were back in the same place where Alestrovon first met her master. Her guess was confirmed as she saw the vast; rolling grasslands she had seen earlier. But the grasslands were not empty this time. Marching upon the fields were thousands of armored figures. Column upon column of them lined up as if to face something just past the horizon.

The spell took notice of her focus on the landscape and smiled. Alteara couldn't help but notice a little pride creep into the spell's tone "What you're looking at is Anseria; The Eternal Battlefield." it said. "It is Alestrovon's home world where the souls of his worshippers reside. As a greater god of war, Alestrovon watches over the armies of worshippers as they clash eternally in glorious battle." The spell's smile lessened as a hint of anger crept into its tone. "But, this time, Alestrovon's worshippers weren't fighting each other. When Meggidas learned that Alestrovon had befriended Raven Huer, he demanded that Alestrovon abandon both Raven Huer and Lizan Killranae. When Alestrovon refused, Meggidas withdrew his protection; allowing Hasmiya to send to send her children to Anseria. He had hoped that Alestrovon would abandon the two "abominations" to remain safe."

The spell's smile turned into a smirk as it continued to watch the scene. Another army marched from the horizon and into view. Alteara recognized the hairless, metal-skinned, winged humanoids. They swarmed across the landscape and darkened the sky with soldiers. "So much for "favored son"." The spell said sardonically. "Hasmiya herself could not directly attack Anseria as proto-deities could not enter each other's realities. You can imagine her regret at not attacking them while they were rescuing Lizan Killranae. Likewise, Meggidas's disbelief when Alestrovon refused to abandon his friends." The spell snorted; its smile widening slightly for a brief moment. "Pride." It sneered.

The armies clashed silently. Alestrovon, Raven Huer and Lizan Killranae leapt from where they were watching and into the fray. Alteara watched as the image seemed to move farther away. Even when the battle seemed so distant that it looked like a swarm of bees was attacking an anthill, she could still see the explosions from what could only be from spells.

"The battles came one after another." the spell went on. "Hasmiya knew where her advantage lay and the difference between her and her outcast brother. Raven Huer had the ability to enter different realities but he possessed no ability to create one of his own. Whereas she could not enter another proto-deity's reality but she can create children and mortals to mount an unending assault on Alestrovon's world. Alestrovon and Lizan, both cut off from their parents, could not possibly match this power of creation. "

The spell fell silent. Alteara watched the battle for a while; waiting for Memory to continue. She didn't know how much time went by as they simply stood there. She began to worry that the spell had somehow malfunctioned and that she was stuck.

After what seemed like hours, the spell turned towards Alteara and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry." it said. "Perhaps Raven Huer overestimated Lizan Killranae's accommodating nature when he decided to use her personality as a basis. This is a difficult memory for me to talk of."

"I wouldn't mind if you skipped it then." Alteara said.

"Empathizing with a spell now?" the spell asked. "Raven Huer must be proud to have one more student who has survived his methods."

"How did you-?"

"He has marked you." the spell interjected. "How else did you manage to activate me?"

"Sir Valen is also one of his students." Alteara replied. "But he couldn't activate you."

"Is he now?" the spell said. "He must have lost his mark along the way. Such a thing is possible. But I'm going off track. Again, I apologize for stopping. These were the best times Lizan Killranae ever had; fighting side by side with Alestrovon and Raven Huer, earning the ever-growing wrath of her "mother"…how pathetic it must be if your fondest memories are about slowly losing a war."

"They were losing?" Alteara asked incredulously.

"Hasmiya attacked Alestrovon's world daily." The spell answered. "Faced with a proto-deity, even a greater god will show his limits. Raven Huer offered to leave. He even offered to return to his prison-plane so Meggidas will protect his "favored son". Alestrovon and Lizan would have none of it. The three of them fought on even as Anseria threatened to collapse and kill them all. Someone had to give in. Hasmiya had to stop her attacks, Alestrovon, Raven Huer and Lizan Killranae had to be destroyed or Meggidas had to interfere."

A great explosion of light suddenly tore Alteara's gaze from the spell and back to the distant battle. Immediately, she looked away and shielded her eyes with her hands. It was as if a sun had materialized right in the middle of the fighting.

"In the end, it was someone else who acted out first." the spell said softly.

The burst of light faded as the image shifted once more. Alteara watched as a tall, blurry figure stood before a familiar-looking young girl. It took Alteara a moment to realize who the young girl was. "The Source." she breathed. The Source was not smiling affectionately this time. She was staring sternly at the blurred figure before her and the golden light that emanated from her seemed to shimmer in hostility.

"Hasmiya's use of her creations angered her mother." the spell said. "The Source demanded that she stop creating just to have something to hurl at her enemies." The spell made a half-hearted attempt at stifling a laugh before continuing. "There is no disobeying an Overdeity. Hasmiya withdrew and Anseria was spared."

Alteara watched as they found themselves back in Anseria. She was looking down from above the grasslands this time, where she could see another battle. But this time, it was between the soldiers who fought for Alestrovon. There wasn't a trace of the metal-skinned warriors that Hasmiya sent. Her master and his friends were not participating. Over the horizon she saw Alestrovon's fortress; a structure would dwarf even a mountain. Despite the great distance, she could still see some of the individual spires and walls.

"Anseria was at peace for a while after that." the spell said. "Well…peaceful in a way that a greater god of war's realm can be, at least. With his sister chastised, Raven Huer dared to hope that he had found himself a home." The spell's expression saddened and its voice dropped. "He was wrong. The peace didn't even last a century. Meggidas, not content with inventing pride, decided to invent wrath as well. He confronted his wayward "favored son" in Anseria, demanding that Alestrovon cast Raven Huer out or be destroyed."

Alteara inhaled sharply when the fortress she had been staring at suddenly blew apart. The armies swirling nearby stopped to stare as well. To see something so violent occur in complete silence was surreal. The explosion itself seemed unnatural. The giant chunks of stone that flew from the blast were shaped into cubes and flew into all directions in a perfect ring around the fortress's remains. When the blast cleared, the upper half of the structure was gone. The lower half was perfectly level, as if someone had perfectly cut the fortress in half.

"Alestrovon's answer was as you can see." The spell said.

The image then moved in swiftly towards the fortress. Alteara found her gaze immediately going towards her master. Raven Huer stood at the center of what would have been a hall if there were walls and a roof. Now, there was nothing but the white-stoned floor. He was staring defiantly at a blurred figure just a few feet away. To his left stood Alestrovon, who had both swords drawn, while to his right stood Lizan Killranae, who had her bow drawn and an arrow nocked.

"Meggidas, the prideful wretch that he was, could not accept that anyone…anything would choose something else instead of his will." The spell said. "In a rage he attacked the three; promising to obliterate them and all of Anseria and erase the memory of their existence." The spell smirked again. "Like some foolish child trying to get rid of his bed sheets after wetting them." It sneered. "Raven Huer stepped up to fight his eldest brother. He did not have the power of creation but he could match Meggidas in direct combat; not only that, he was more than happy to take on the proto-deity who was the first to denounce him as a monster and he had Alestrovon and Lizan with him. It was a fight he knew he could win."

The image blacked out quickly and then reappeared. For a moment, Alteara thought that she had merely blinked. But in that moment, the scene had changed. Anseria was gone. Instead, she was staring at a vast, dry expanse of cracked earth. The sky had turned dark; lit only by a very weak sun. Thousands of scattered weapons and armor covered the ground. Most of them were broken and useless. The image was still shifting, hovering over the great expanse as if searching for something.

"Was it over that quickly?" Alteara asked.

"The battle lasted for centuries." The spell replied. "You do not have the time to watch it. Your senses would find it next to impossible to perceive what such a battle would look like anyway. As Raven Huer had hoped, they won the battle and destroyed Meggidas. But the price was heavy. Anseria was ruined and twisted into this horrid realm. The world where a proto-deity was murdered was transformed into a plane of true death. Anseria was no more and its desiccated husk became known as Deicidium. But the loss of a plane was not the true price Raven Huer paid to slay his hated "eldest" brother."

The image finally hovered over the ruins of Alestrovon's fortress. There was nothing left of the magnificent structure but a few scattered stones. What immediately caught Alteara's attention were the three who had managed to destroy even a proto-deity. Her master was kneeling over the armored, supine form of Alestrovon while Lizan stood just a few feet away; her face twisted with distraught. Raven Huer had buried his face against the chest of his motionless friend. Despite being a passive observer, despite not really knowing what Alestrovon was like, Alteara felt her heart wrench at the sudden burst of emotion her master was showing. She had never seen him like this. She had not even tried to imagine him like this.

"In his final throes, Meggidas made one last stroke at his wayward son." the spell said softly. "Alestrovon was struck down and there was no restoring him. With Meggidas's death, his created reality was already collapsing in on itself. Everything and everyone that had come from him was about to follow him in his destruction. Raven Huer refused to accept it. For the first time in his life, he cast aside his own pride and cried out for help."

A familiar golden light suddenly burst forth near the three. Despite the brightness, Alteara did not even need to squint. The child-like appearance of The Source emerged and she knelt next to Raven Huer, who looked at her pleadingly. His red eyes; eyes that had always been fierce and proud, were liquid with other emotions; despair and desperation, grief mixed with a small glimmer of hope. Alteara felt her chest tighten and tears welling up at the sight of him.

"Her son's pleas moved The Source, who had been content to suffuse all creation with her presence and watch, to action." the spell went on. "She agreed to use her power to bring back Alestrovon even from the finality of Deicidium and Meggidas's demise. But there was a catch. Only True Creation was capable of such a feat. Not even The Source could bring forth that power alone. Only when she harmonized with The Shaper could True Creation be brought forth."

"And in there lay the problem." the spell said grimly. "The Shaper had taken a different stance about his children than The Source. While The Source moved among all creation, suffusing every world with magic, The Shaper turned his back on his children almost immediately after he helped create them. He resided in his distant personal plane of Sanctum where he watched his children in disinterest. To bring Alestrovon back, Raven had to cross into Sanctum and plead his case before his father. Here, The Source could not help him. The Shaper will refuse if she argued Raven Huer's case for him. The Source warned her son of the danger. Sanctum was separated from all created reality by a seemingly eternal expanse of void. Even if Raven Huer survived the trip there, he would have to convince The Shaper to hear him out."

Raven Huer stood up, his face defiant and confident once more. Even though the spell was talking about how impossible her master's task was, Alteara found herself believing that he was going to succeed just by watching his expression. Suddenly, Lizan Killranae grabbed a hold of Raven Huer's arm; her face angry and desperate. "Lizan Killranae pleaded with Raven Huer not to go for fear of losing him as well." the spell said sadly. "He refused to listen. He left then and there to reach Sanctum."

The spell's expression hardened. "That trip would be the beginning of his fall." it said. "And if he fails in his task now. It would be the beginning of his destruction."


	11. Broken Wings

(A/N): This will be the last purely info-dump chapter of this story.

**Scarred Silver**

**Chapter 11: Broken Wings**

"How do you visit the realm of an Overdeity who has distanced himself from all creation? How do you move a father who stood by and watched while your siblings locked you away? How often do you think these doubts crossed Raven Huer's mind while he traversed the void between worlds on his way to Sanctum?"

Alteara barely heard the spell speak. She watched, almost in a daze, as her master changed back into the twisted, monstrous form he had started with. There was something in his form that made her stare and ponder. Right now, he was flying through the darkness of what she assumed was the "void between worlds". She was staring from his side as he steadily flapped a multitude of oddly placed wings. His single, gigantic eye glowed blood red; the only source of light within the void that served to highlight his blade-like feathers. Everything about him seemed malformed and unnatural. None of his wings were of the same size; they jutted out of his body at every direction, some flapping steadily while others beating madly. His feathers lacked any sort of arrangement. They reminded her of his hair, Alteara couldn't help but smile at the thought, in how they just stuck out messily in all directions. She saw a pair of bird-like claws extending from his front, a third one from his left side and she could see the silhouettes of what appeared to be two more coming from his right.

Despite her master's misshapen form, Alteara felt neither horror nor revulsion. Perhaps it was because she only saw it through a spell's image or, perhaps, it was because she had known him as her master before seeing this form. She didn't understand why his siblings were so repulsed. She couldn't see their forms from the spell's blurring but she doubted that any of them looked alike.

She did understand, though, that her master was in pain. His flight was laborious now. Something, some sort of black, smoke-like substance, was leaking from different parts of his enormous body. He was bleeding, she realized. His wings strained from the effort. His jagged beak opened in a silent cry as he pushed himself harder to keep flying.

The void was endless. Alteara couldn't imagine just how much doubt was crushing her master at that time. Sanctum seemed so far away; unreachable. It was an impossible task. The Shaper was an Overdeity and, surely, he could make his realm completely inaccessible. Her master's agonizing flight could all be in vain. It was the supreme leap of faith, or desperation, on her master's behalf to even attempt this. There was no turning back for him. He probably did not have any strength to return, given the distance he had put behind him. If his strength failed him now, he would die alone in between worlds, away from his friends and his mother. She remembered what Memory just said. How long did that flight take? Just how many times did he doubt what he was doing? Her master always had a confident smile on his face for as long as she had known him. What would he have looked like if he wasn't in this form?

And then the blackness of the void was wiped away. Raven Huer appeared to break through a curtain of darkness; bursting into a lit world at long last. It happened so quickly that Alteara closed her eyes in reflex. When she opened them again, her master had collapsed on the floor. His form was twisted enough as it was but the sight of him splayed out in complete exhaustion was heartbreaking. _Something_ was oozing out of his body; a black substance that appeared to rise from his body like smoke but, when she took a closer look, the substance appeared more liquid than gas. Whatever it was, copious amounts of it continued to escape his body. Alteara was convinced that it was his lifeblood. He wasn't just bleeding. Two of his larger, frontal wings looked as if they had been broken in several places. A lot of his feathers had fallen on the floor.

That was when Alteara noticed the floor. Its mere presence meant that her master had broken through the void that separated Sanctum from other worlds. The floor was silver; polished so well that it mirrored everything perfectly. It stretched out as far as the eye could see, as if they were in an ocean-sized mirror. Alteara looked around, but there were no other features in the landscape. "This is…Sanctum?" she asked the spell.

The spell raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Oh! Back to paying attention to me now, are you?" it replied. "Yes. This is a portion of Sanctum called the Reflectorium. Here, all existence reflects before The Order Father, who watches it all in silence."

Alteara watched as her master began to change his shape. The process was slow and halting. There was a brief moment when it seemed that Raven Huer had to struggle to complete the process. The broken and bleeding bird-like creature disappeared. In its place, her master's human form stood tall. His arm dangled from his side uselessly. Though he stood proudly, even Alteara could tell that he was barely supporting himself. The black substance continued to ooze out of several jagged openings around his body. He staggered forward and shouted something. Alteara guessed that he was calling his father out.

"Just reaching Sanctum was a ray of hope for Raven Huer." The spell said. "The Shaper could have locked him out of the plane and kept him flying about the void forever. Being allowed inside meant that The Shaper would hear him out."

The spell snorted before continuing. "Or it could have meant that The Shaper planned on personally destroying him for the affront of trying to storm Sanctum. Or lock him away for causing so much trouble among the proto-deities. No one could know. I doubt even The Source knew what her other half was up to."

Raven Huer continued to shout across the vastness of Sanctum. To Alteara, the place seemed nothing more but an ocean-sized mirror suspended in a nebulous, gray space. To her surprise, The Shaper materialized right before her master. There was no blinding flash of light or an opening of anything. In one second, her master was alone in the Reflectorium and in another, he wasn't. The Shaper looked as he did when Alteara first him, a young boy with silvery hair with a stern expression on his face. There was no gentle affection that softened his visage this time, however. The Shaper stared at her master in what appeared to be mild annoyance, as if he had just encountered a pest in his house.

The spell was quick to notice Alteara's discomfiture. "Shocked?" it asked with a smile of amusement. "The Shaper isn't one for theatrics like his other half." The smile quickly disappeared as the spell went on. "The first thing that The Shaper tells his half-dead, outcast son is to get off his property. Raven Huer refused and did what he came to Sanctum for."

Alteara watched anxiously as her master spoke. His proud and defiant expression seemed to crumble as he continued to speak. He didn't seem to notice that he continued to bleed as did so; his "lifeblood" trailing wisps of black against the hazy gray atmosphere. Through it all, The Shaper continued to stand and stare without so much as changing the expression on his face.

"He tried to bargain." The spell said. "But how do you bargain with an Overdeity? He tried pleading, even if this was the same father who did nothing while his siblings locked him away. He appealed to The Shaper's sense of mercy and compassion and got about as much a reaction as you would expect from a tombstone. When nothing worked, Raven Huer resorted to the one thing that he had when everything turned against him."

Raven Huer clenched his fists. His desperate expression hardened into a grim expression that stared right back at The Shaper's stern gaze.

"Raven resorted to his defiance." The spell said. "He refused to budge from Sanctum and refused to stop asking for his father's help. Centuries passed while he kept up that staredown with The Shaper. Finally, his father budged."

Alteara felt herself breathe a sigh of relief. It surprised her given that she knew that her master would make it out alright. After all, he was around now. Still, knowing that her master succeeded was an uplifting thought.

"Perhaps he had been waiting for that." The spell said. "Perhaps The Shaper had not been interested in watching Raven Huer grovel and beg but to take pride in who he was and what he could ask of his father. The Shaper agreed to perform True Creation with The Source. He would restore Alestrovon and prevent the collapse of Meggidas's creations. To do so, a new proto-deity must emerge to restore the collapsing reality. The Shaper gave Raven Huer a choice. He could take over Meggidas's scattered power. With a proto-deity's might adding to his own, Raven Huer would become more powerful than any of his siblings. He would possess the ability to create and the ability to enter other realities. It would be a fitting fate for someone who had been cast out. But Raven Huer refused. Alestrovon as Meggidas's son and should be the one to absorb the fallen proto-deity's power."

The spell's expression darkened and its voice lowered. "The Shaper agreed to the change." It said. "But he spoke one more time before he joined with his other half in True Creation. "You have been foolish, Raven Huer." He said. "You have turned to propriety when you should have shown your own pride. You will regret this." Raven Huer was so overjoyed at the restoration of his dearest friend that he didn't even ponder his father's warning."

The spell shook its head. "A pity." It said.

The image of Sanctum faded away. Now, Raven Huer was standing with his two friends once more. They were in a magnificent throne room of white stone, similar to Alestrovon's fortress. But everything seemed…grander. The circular room seemed larger now. They were surrounded by enormous tapestries that portrayed their fights against Raven Huer's siblings; from their invasion of Hasmiya's proud city to the three of them striking down Meggidas. Alestrovon sat on a throne on dark metal, in contrast to the white stone all around him. Even he seemed…bigger. It wasn't just his armor or his presence. Alestrovon was a head taller than Raven Huer's human form when they first met. Now, he was a full head and shoulders taller.

"Through The Shaper and The Source's concourse, Alestrovon was restored and granted his father's power." The spell continued. Alteara noticed the lack of any sort of enthusiasm in the spell's narration, even though it should be a good thing that her master had succeeded. "The balance of power had shifted. Raven Huer's flight to Sanctum had all but broken him, leaving him much weaker. Alestrovon's assumption of his father's power and role elevated him from greater deity to proto-deity."

The spell smiled slightly. Its voice was melancholy when it spoke again. "Despite his grievous injury, Raven Huer believed that those days he enjoyed with his two friends were about to return. Without, Meggidas hounding him and Hasmiya thwarted, he could be at peace at last. And he was for a thousand years. But…"

The image shifted. They were still in Alestrovon's throne room but, now, only Alestrovon and Lizan were there. Lizan looked at Alestrovon in what appeared to be discomfort. The proto-deity was sitting back on his throne; his head rested against his right hand. He stared at Lizan intently as he talked. Whatever he was saying made Lizan shift defensively. When she answered, his eyes flared briefly but he remained calm afterwards.

"As the centuries went by, it became slowly clear that Alestrovon assumed more than his father's power." The spell continued. "This was the beginning of his change. Do you want to know what he and Lizan were talking about?"

Alteara nodded. It was certainly a strange scene between the two. There was no warmth between Alestrovon and Lizan unlike those scenes when they were together with her master.

"Alestrovon asked Lizan who she loved more between him and Raven Huer."

The spell answered Alteara's incredulous look with a shake of its head. "No." it answered Alteara's unasked question. "He didn't see her that way. But his pride dictated that she pick him anyway. Lizan's answer was Raven Huer. Even with her personality used as a basis for me, I can only make guesses as to why."

The spell stared at Alestrovon's image with both scorn and pity. "Perhaps she just wanted to spite him for asking such a ridiculous and worthless question. Perhaps she had more of an affinity towards Raven Huer, who was an abomination like her. Or, perhaps, she simply flipped a coin in her mind. No matter how she arrived upon it, the answer grated on Alestrovon for the centuries to come."

The spells expression saddened. "It may have been better if she had just satisfied his pride." It said. "Everything that followed afterward could have been avoided."

The scene shifted again. They were still in the throne room but, this time, Raven Huer was with them. Raven Huer was staring angrily at Alestrovon, who was still reclining on his throne. He was saying something. Alteara didn't hear a word but she saw the accusation in her master's expression.

"Centuries after that fateful question, Alestrovon slowly began to indulge his prideful tendencies." The spell said. "He had a hand in even minor mortal affairs. He demanded sacrifices from his creations as proof of their worship. He delighted in crusades launched in his name, especially if all sides involved worshipped him anyway; just in different ways. Raven Huer, for the sake of his dearest friend, tolerated all of these. But, when Alestrovon considered plans to invade the realities of other proto-deities, Raven Huer drew the line."

Alteara saw Alestrovon finally say something between her master's angry words. Raven Huer immediately stopped and stared at him incredulously.

"Alestrovon, his pride already swollen with his father's influence, called Raven Huer a rebel; an insubordinate ally!" The spell spat in a sudden rage. "As if there was even a moment when the three of them were not meant to be equals! That wretched Meggidas is dead but Alestrovon carried part of him in the end."

Alestrovon rose from his throne and drew himself to full height. He towered over both Raven Huer and Lizan Killranae. Raven stepped in between Alestrovon and Lizan, his face grim and troubled. His hands were clenched. Alteara noticed that they were trembling. Whether out of fear or anger, she didn't know. She guessed that it was likely both.

"Alestrovon challenged Raven Huer right then and there." The spell said. Its voice had calmed down from an outraged cry to a grim tone. "A fight between them to decide whose will should hold sway in their reality. Raven Huer refused to understand why they would have to do such a thing. He was the one who voluntarily gave up that power for his dearest friend; a friend whom he had broken his wings for! But Alestrovon did not accept any refusal. He insisted on meeting Raven Huer on that desolate former realm of his that had been ruined by the first murder of a proto-deity. A place where death is final."

"Deicidium."


End file.
